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Towards a Corporate Farming Policy for Bangladesh

Swapan Kumar Das Gupta
Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development, Kotbari, Comilla, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The objective of this article is to help formulation of a Corporate Farming (CF) policy for Bangladesh to increase agricultural growth ensuring safeguard of the interest of the farm sector particularly of the small farmers. Review of relevant literature was the method of writing this article. According to the findings of literature review, CF philosophy should be conducive to sustainable agricultural practices to accelerate agricultural growth and safeguard interests and autonomy of the farmers. As the principles, any affect on farmers due to CF should be compensated or rehabilitated by providing them with proper supports and subsidies. There should be a balance in the use labor and technology in agriculture to safeguard employment opportunities of the farmers. Any damage to soil and natural resources due to CF should have the legal provision of punishment and appropriate compensation. Problems of CF include myths regarding elimination of local middlemen, farmers’ hyper indebtedness, politicizing agriculture against poor farmers, creation of monopolistic or oligarchic agricultural market, agricultural market volatility, corruption and breach of contract. Potentials of CF depend on proper backward linkage with farmers, using modern appropriate genetic engineering in agriculture, standardization of agricultural products appropriate for global agricultural market and modernization of farm implement industry.

Keywords: Farming policy, Bangladesh.

Location: Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development, Kotbari, Comilla

Start Date: 00-00-2011

End Date: 00-12-2011

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Credit

Objectives:

1. To define corporate farming philosophy of Bangladesh, 2. To set corporate farming principles of Bangladesh, 3. To indicate the problems and potentials of corporate farming in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Corporate farming philosophy for Bangladesh: 1) The CF is to increase agricultural growth rate ensuring safeguard of interest of majority of the farmers i.e. the medium, small and marginal farmers of Bangladesh. 2) Farmers of Bangladesh should have secured right to find out their own ways to survive and also to find out their way back to sustainable and farmer-friendly farming practices if destroyed by mechanization and modernization of farming. 3) Enriching the land, generating fertile soil, regenerating natural soil fauna, conserving natural resources, harnessing surface water use, conserving indigenous seeds, and other practices related to sustainable farming are not just farming practices, but also important jobs that add to the country’s assets. Therefore, such farmers should be given various incentives by the government. Corporate farming principles for Bangladesh: a) Since CF allows large scale periodical operational transfer of agricultural land to corporations in the name of development, relevant farmers should be given direct support apart from loan relief. b) Farmers engaged in revival and improvement of indigenous and sustainable farming practices should receive subsidy and support from the government. c) Moving people against their will out of the agricultural sector in the name of reducing dependency on agriculture should not be allowed. d) Moving people out of agriculture should have mandatory clear specification as to where these people will be moved, and where and how to rehabilitate them. e) Causing permanent damage to Bangladeshi soil and natural resources due to CF should have the legal provision of punishment to the concerned and appropriate compensation. f) Production-cost based price compensation should be given instead of loan relief. g) Organic farming should be ensured in more than 50% land under CF. h) Technology and inputs have to be integrated with farming practices in such a way that farmers can use them in their own way, without either government support or help from input dealers.

Source of Information: J. Agrofor. Environ. 5 (2): 133-134, 2011; ISSN 1995-6983

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

As the principles, any affect on farmers due to CF should be compensated or rehabilitated by providing them with proper supports and subsidies. There should be a balance in the use labor and technology in agriculture to safeguard employment opportunities of the farmers. Any damage to soil and natural resources due to CF should have legal provision of punishment to the concerned and appropriate compensation. Problems of CF include myth of elimination of local middlemen, farmers’ hyper indebtedness, politicizing agriculture against poor farmers, monopolistic or oligarchic agricultural market, market volatility, corruption and contract breaching. Potentials of CF lie in proper backward linkage with farmers, application of modern appropriate genetic engineering in agriculture, standardization of agricultural products for global market and modernization of farm implement industry.

Knowledge Management: Journal