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Agricultural Research and Crop Diversification in Bangladesh

Abul Quasem
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS)E-17, Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Dhaka-1207

Lutfur Rahman
Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Although a large number of crops are grown in Bangladesh, shares of most of the minor crops in net cropped area are very low, and they are grown in a few selected locations. Five crops/crop groups; rice, wheat, jute, pulses and oilseeds, cover as high as 92 per cent of total cropped area. Rice alone occupies over 75 per cent of the cropped area. Furthermore, with the expansion of irrigation, the share of rice over time is rising at the cost of other minor crops (Hossain et al 1990). While crop diversification has been an important agenda in recent years, Bangladesh has gradually turned into a mono-culture region. Dominance of a single crop is not desirable on environmental consideration. High coverage under a single crop is too risky due to possible pest build ups; and the high yielding variety seeds may at any time turn into non-viability (Zed Books 1993). Furthermore, compared to many other countries, per capita availability of non-rice food items in Bangladesh is quite low, although both soils and climate permit much higher levels of their production. This paper discusses two specific aspects to probe into the current lack of progress in crop diversification in the country; locational specificity of minor crops and lack of adequate research on minor crops.

Keywords: Agricultural research,Crop diversification

Location:

Start Date: 00-00-1985

End Date: 00-00-1991

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Non-commodity: Adoption of technology

Objectives:

To discuss two specific aspects to probe into the current lack of progress in crop diversification in the country; locational specificity of minor crops and lack of adequate research on minor crops.

Methodology:

Land suitability of crops may vary widely across groups, and even between different species and varieties within a group. For example, there are 7-8 varieties of pulses whose soil and agronomic requirements are not exactly the same. In order to understand such specificity of minor crops and their future potentials, their absolute as well as proportional cove rages by (old) districts have been examined for two periods (1985-87 and 1989-91). We have also examined the recently recorded average yields to supplement the information on acreage.

Source of Information: The Bangladesh Development Studies,Vol. 21, No. 3, Crop Diversification in Bangladesh (September 1993), pp. 125-135 Published by: Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

It is therefore no surprise that improved varieties released by them were few. Researches undertaken for minor crops in Bangladesh were of introductory nature; and were far behind other countries, especially in the fields of bio-technology and genetic engineering. To harness the potentials of minor crops in the country, research institutes need to reorient their research programs.

Knowledge Management: Journal