Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Socioeconomic Impacts of Wheat Seed Storage at Household Level in Bangladesh

M. A. MONAYEM MIAH
Agricultural Economics Division, BARI, Gazipur

M. ELAHI BAKSH
CIMMYT Bangladesh

FREDERICK. J. ROSS
CIMMYT Bangladesh

THAKUR PRASAD TIWARI
CIMMYT Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Small and marginal farmers have little access to improved seed from institutional sources and are thus largely excluded from the benefits of new varieties. The production and storage of improved varieties seeds at the household (HH) level can successfully overcome this problem. With this aim CSISA-CIMMYT (Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia) project in Bangladesh have been working since 2011. Therefore, an attempt was made to assess the impacts of wheat seed storage systems at HH level, with a particular emphasis on how the farmers are benefited by doing the seed storage business. The study analyzed data and information collected at random from 210 supported and 60 non-supported farmers spread over three wheat growing districts namely Mymensingh, Faridpur and Rangpur. The study revealed that wheat farmers used different storage containers and showed the highest level of satisfaction towards plastic sac along with poly bags and plastic/metal drum due to cost effectiveness and seed quality maintenance. On an average, supported and non-supported farmers retained respectively 103 kg and 100 kg of seed at household level due to own use (79-85%), sale for higher price (63-65%), timely sowing (28-35%), and higher yield (27-37%). They sold most of their seeds to neighbouring farmers, local markets, and dealers. Wheat seed storage at household level was a profitable business to most of the respondent farmers. They could earn a reasonable net income (Tk.1127-Tk.1210) from seed storage. The farmers who stored seed in plastic/metal drum received the highest net income due to higher storage capacity, less storage cost, and higher seed price. The wheat storage program has created a lot of socioeconomic impacts in the study areas. A substantial increase was recorded in wheat area, wheat productivity, and financial benefit of the wheat farmers as a whole. Nevertheless, improved wheat seed is now available at farm level and most farmers become enthusiastic towards improved wheat cultivation because of this program. Respondent farmers did not face any critical problem during seed storage. The study strongly recommends that the existing training and dissemination program should be extended to other new and promising areas for fostering wheat cultivation as well as improving farmers’ income in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Socio economic impact,Wheat seed storage,House hold level

Location: Mymensingh, Faridpur and Dinajpur.

Start Date: 00-02-2015

End Date: 00-04-2015

Program Area: Postharvest and Agro-processing

Commodity: Wheat

Objectives:

1.To identify and catalog the systems used in storing wheat seed at the HH level.

2.To identify the distribution systems and relative share of each, through which wheat seed is transferred to other entities.

3.To estimate the profitability of wheat seed storage at the HH level for each type of storage device.

4.To assess the impacts of wheat seed storage on adoption, productivity, and area coverage of improved wheat varieties in the study areas

5.To explore the problems and prospects encountered with respect to wheat seed storage at the HH level, in order to provide policy recommendations

Methodology:

The study was conducted at three wheat growing districts namely Mymensingh, Faridpur and Dinajpur. The populations of this study were the wheat farmers who stored wheat seed at their homes with the purpose of own use as well as business. Before selecting sample respondents, a list of wheat seed storing farmers was prepared with the help of CSISA-CIMMYT project personnel working under respective district. After that, the collected farmers were categorised into two groups: supported farmers and non-supported farmers. A total of 210 supported farmers taking 70 farmers from each districts were selected randomly for interview. Again, 60 non-supported farmers (20 from each district) were also selected randomly as control. Thus the total sample size of the present study was 270.Data for the present study were gathered from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected from selected farmers with the aid of a pre-tested interview schedule during February-April, 2015. CSISA-CIMMYT project personnel in respective district assisted researchers and enumerators in collecting primary level data. Secondary data were collected from different published sources, such as BBS, journal articles, research reports, internet, and hub reports to capture a more comprehensive understanding of the overall scenario. The collected data were edited and tabulated for analysis. Descriptive statistics were mostly used in analysing collected data and information.The cost of storage included the annual cost of container and protection measures. Due to very small number of samples, protection cost was not considered in this study to calculate net income from storage. The annual cost of a container was calculated by applying straight-line method for one year. In this study, the salvage value of storage container was reported to be zero. Therefore, the straight-line equation applied in this study was as follows:Again, the gross income of storage was estimated by multiplying storage quantity (kg/farm) with increased price (Tk/kg) of seed due to storage. Increased price is the difference between two prices that prevailed during seed selling and seed storing.

Source of Information: Annual Research Report, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS DIVISION Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Joydebpur, Gazipur-1701August, 2015

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The wheat farmers in the study areas used nine types of storage containers and showed the highest level of satisfaction towards plastic sac and plastic/metal drum along with poly bags due to cost effectiveness and better quality seed. Respondent farmers retained seed at household level mainly for getting quality seed for own use, higher price, timely sowing, and higher grain yield. They sold most of their seeds to neighbouring farmers, local markets, and dealers. Wheat seed storage at household level was a profitable business to most of the respondent farmers. They could earn a reasonable income from seed storage. The farmers who stored seed in plastic/metal drum received the highest net income due to higher storage capacity, less storage cost, and higher seed price. The net income was mostly spent for the next year wheat cultivation followed by food purchase, and educational expenses. Due to the seed storage program, a good number of new wheat varieties were adopted in the study areas. Among adopted varieties, BARI Gom-27 produced the highest yield followed by BARI Gom-28 and BARI Gom-26. Most supported farmers collected new varieties from CSISA-CIMMYT project and non-supported farmers collected it from neighbouring farmers and local market. Finally, the wheat storage program has created a lot of socioeconomic impacts in the study areas. A substantial increase has been recorded in wheat area, wheat productivity, and financial benefit of the wheat farmers as a whole. Nevertheless, new variety wheat seed is now available in the study areas and most farmers become enthusiastic towards wheat cultivation because of this program. Respondent farmers did not face any critical problem during seed storage. However, some of the farmers were still found using old variety, not rouging their wheat plant, using traditional storage containers, and placing seed container on ground.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings