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

Causes and Possible Solutions of Seasonal Food Insecurity (monga) Perceived by Char Dwellers in Bangladesh

Nazirul Islam Sarker*
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study was carried out in Guabari and Hasilkandi village of Saghata upazila and dewlabari char and Khatamari char village of Fulcchari upazila under Gaibandha district to determine the causes of seasonal food insecurity (Monga) of char dwellers. The study was aimed to ascertain the probable ways for alleviating seasonal food insecurity (Monga) faced by the char dwellers in Bangladesh. One hundred char dwellers were selected randomly of which 25 from each village. Data were collected during January-March, 2015 through interview schedule. Among the 39 causes of seasonal food insecurity (Monga) Lack of job opportunity in Monga season especially September to December in every year, river bank erosion in the char area, frequent flood inundation, no agricultural work, no business activities due to excessive rainfall, dense fogs, hailstorms, severe cold, etcare the main causes of seasonal food insecurity (Monga). Among 31 possible ways of achieving seasonal food security, Creation of year round job opportunities for char dwellers, diversified crop cultivation practices should be introduced, a huge arable land should be brought under cultivation by proper soil management, educational facilities etc came out as the main ways. The study will help policy makers and NGOs to address and analyze the issues for achieving seasonal food security of char dwellers.

Keywords: Monga, Food security, Seasonal food insecurity, Poverty, Char dwellers, Bangladesh.

Location: Guabari and Hasilkandi village of Saghata upazila and dewlabari char and Khatamari char village of Fulcchari upazila under Gaibandha district

Start Date: 00-01-2015

End Date: 00-03-2015

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Livelihood

Objectives:

Specific objectives: a) To identify the causes of seasonal food insecurity (Monga) of char dwellersand char dwellers perception about it; b) To ascertain the probable ways for alleviating seasonal food insecurity (Monga); and c) To make suggestions on the basis of the findings of the study.

Methodology:

Study area Gaibandha district consists of seven upzilas, Saghata and Fulcchari upazila was purposively selected for this study. Then random selection is done for selecting two villages from each upazila. The study was conducted in Guabari and Hasilkandi village of Saghata upazila and dewlabari char and Khatamari char village of Fulcchari upazila under Gaibandha district. The study areas were two island chars in different upazilas embedded on Jamuna river. The physical, social and cultural heritages of the people of this area similar in many cases with other char areas of the country. Measurement of Socio-Demographic Characteristics: 1. Age: Age of a respondent was measured on the basis of time from her birth to the time of interview. A score of one (1) was assigned for each year of her age. 2. Education The education was measured on the basis of completed years of schooling by a respondent in educational institutions. A score of one (1) was given for each completed year of schooling. If a respondent does not know reading and writing herscore was zero. Ascore of 0.5 was given to a respondent who only could sign hername. 3. Family Size Family size of a respondent was measured on the basis of the actual number of members in her family. The family members included him, wife, and children together with dependent members who jointly lived and ate together up to the time of interview. The actual number of members was considered as the family size score of a respondent. For example, if a respondent had four members in her family, her family size score was given as ‘4’. 4. Fatalism Fatalism score was computed by using eight items Likert scale. Among eight statements, four were positive and four were negative to fatalism. The respondents indicated for each statements of the scale whether they strongly agreed, agreed, undecided, disagreed and strongly disagreed. Score assigned to these responses for positive statements were 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. For negative statements the scoring system was reversed. Fatalism score of a respondent was determined by summing the scores for responses to all the eight items in the scale. Fatalism scores of the respondents could range from 8 to 40, where 8 score indicating low fatalism and 40 score indicating high fatalism. 5. Agricultural Knowledge Agricultural knowledge of the respondents was measured by asking 18 questions related to agriculture. A score of 2 was assigned to each question and total of 36 scores was assigned to all questions. A full score was given for each correct answer.However, partial score was given to partial correct answer of a certain question and 0was assigned for wrong answer. The scores was obtained by a respondent could range from 0 to 36, where 0 indicating no agricultural knowledge and 36 indicating very high agricultural knowledge. Data Collection The sample size was 100 of which 25 from each village namely Guabari and Hasilkandi village of Saghata upazila and dewlabari char and Khatamari char village of Fulcchari upazila under Gaibandha district. The sample size was determined by the estimated proportion formula (Cochran, 1977). The interview was conducted by asking the respective household head or representative. Each respondent was asked for citing five causes of seasonal food insecurity or Monga and five possible ways for alleviating seasonal food insecurity or Monga. The households are temporarily or permanently residing in the char areas. An interview schedule was carefully prepared keeping objectives in mind. Simple and direct questions and different scales were used to obtain information. The information supplied by the respondents was recorded directly on the interview schedule. The information was duly checked in order to minimize errors if any. The respondents were interviewed at their leisure time to get maximum information. After collecting data, the researcher made careful scrutiny in all the schedules. The data were collected during January to March, 2015. All the collected data were checked and cross checked before transferred into the master sheets. The data were coded, compiled, tabulated and analyzed to accomplish the specific objectives of the study. Qualitative data were converted into quantitative form by means of suitable scoring technique whenever applicable. Secondary data have been accumulated from different published journals and books.

Source of Information: International Journal of Ecology and Development ResearchVol. 1(1), pp. 002-009, March, 2016.

Article Link (Online Journal): www.premierpublishers.org.

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

A short duration rice variety should be introduced with plantation and harvest of potato/ wheat in time in Char areas. An appropriate cropping pattern should be followed like Rice-Potato/wheat-Mungbean. Job opportunities should be created through introducing off-farm activities.Farmers should be given the opportunity to acquire loans at low interest rates and create off-farm activities for themselves to improve their revenues and purchasing power, thereby reducing food insecurity and poverty. Pricing and marketing reforms should be reviewed. Market prices for food crops need to be stabilized so that the farmer is sure to sell his surplus at a profitable price. This will motivate them to diversify and intensify food crop production. Public infrastructure such as well equipped hospitals, schools and markets should be established. Health care centers should incorporate into syllabus specially on childcare, better nutrition and sanitation methods. Through this morbidity and mortality due to malnutrition, under nutrition and poor sanitation conditions could reduce. Government strategy should be redefined regarding property tenure so that sharecroppers who in fact cultivate can make choice concerning farming activities and obtain equal part of benefits from the crops. Need based training facilities should be arranged for increasing awareness, management ability and operational ability for practicing diversified farming activities in achieving their household food security may be arranged. Char dwellers should have opportunity to be involved in project formulation and implementation. Arranging motivational campaign using group and mass media to inspire family members to cooperate each other as well as to minimize social and religious restriction and increase personal interest. Government should acquire several policies for road construction and some other private association that will facilitate to communication and transports. Granary should be established for storage and better conservation of food crops. Family planning methods that could attempt to reduce population growth to acceptable levels that can conveniently allow for sufficient and efficient resource allocation and utilization by all. Credit availability should be increased GOs and NGOs for farming and off-farm activities according to demand of the char dwellers.

Knowledge Management: Journal