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Improving Water Use for Dry Season Agriculture by Marginal and Tenant Farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains

F Sugden
Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Nepal.

M Scobie
Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Nepal.

M Mainuddin
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and

S Leder
Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Nepal.

R Mishra
Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Nepal.

B Thapa
Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Nepal.

R Bastakoti
Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Nepal.

S da Silva
Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Nepal.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The Eastern Gangetic Plains is one of the most densely populated, poverty-stricken belts in South Asia. Poor access to irrigation water in the dry season, limited investment capacity and low agricultural innovation, combined with entrenched social structures of class and caste, affects the predominantly marginal farming communities. This project investigated opportunities for technical and socio-economic innovation to improve the livelihood of women, marginal and tenant farmers in the region. This participatory action research project identified and piloted a series of institutional and technical interventions across thirty-five sites and six villages in Nepal (Saptari), Bihar (Madhubani), and West Bengal (Cooch Behar) and six villages in North West Bangladesh. The project assisted farmers to migrate from predominantly single-season rice-based cropping systems to multi-crop systems, including vegetables, with cropping intensity increasing from 100% to more than 200% in most sites. Groundwater is readily available across all study sites, yet utilization was poor due to low technology awareness and access, not to mention social barriers. The project successfully introduced a range of improved irrigation systems and management practices. It was found in India and Nepal that technically advanced systems such as drip irrigation, solar pumping and irrigation scheduling showed potential, yet were sometimes challenging for marginal farmers. Low technology systems, such as improved surface irrigation and water conveyance through poly-pipe had the greatest impact. In Bangladesh, there has been a substantial shift from subsistence to commercial farming, with diversified farming systems under intensified irrigation. In some areas, this has affected access to groundwater by shallow tubewells, and adaptation to water shortages has been through electric deep tubewells, which have halved the cost of irrigating rice, and doubled profits. Farmers were found to be efficient in applying water to the crops and water-saving measures, such as alternative wetting and drying and piped distribution, have improved irrigation efficiency. The impacts on groundwater of expanding dry season agriculture, and different crop selections needs further research. The project identified significant socio-economic, structural and institutional constraints to agricultural production by marginal farmers, including access to land and capital, inequitable landlord-tenant relations, migration and feminization of agriculture, which has affected labour availability. Innovative social interventions, through the formation of farmer collectives, proved beneficial to marginal farmers who could enhance their bargaining power and more efficiently use labour, while addressing the challenge of small scattered plots, to make the piloted irrigation technologies more feasible. While four different models of cooperative farming were successfully demonstrated, further institutional strengthening is required for longer-term social sustainability. The government has a key role in creating the conditions for out-scaling collective farming approaches. While policies exist to support agriculture and water management, marginal farmers are not well equipped to follow procedures and access subsidies and support services. The project provided significant capacity development resulting in improved farmer confidence with adoption of a range of new agricultural, water and technological management practices. Farmers have a greater capacity to work collectively through the cooperative models, which have evolved organically under the farmers’ leadership. There were significant benefits to woman who comprise 60% of the farmers. Through collectives, the confidence of farmers has increased, government services have been mobilized and access to subsidised production inputs such as seed and fertilizer were facilitated. This coupled with the introduction of appropriate high-value crops and cost-effective irrigation systems has substantially increased yield and incomes. This is a major achievement, which has important development implications and makes this project highly relevant to food security and poverty alleviation in the Eastern Gangetic Plains

Keywords: Livelihood of woman, Marginal farmers, Tenant farmers, Eastern Gangetic Plains, Agricultural production, Technical interventions, Season farming, Social structure

Location: In Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-10-2015

End Date: 00-04-2019

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Water management

Objectives:

The overall aim of the project was to improve the livelihood of woman, marginal and tenant farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, through improved water use and increased dry season agricultural production. The project identified and tested a series of institutional and technical interventions, at a village scale, to increase dry season farming in the context of a highly stratified social structure.

Methodology:

The project used participatory action research (PAR) approach to investigate dry season agriculture for marginal and tenant farmers (DSI4MTF), working closely with target farmers and stakeholders. Both technical and socio-economic assessment of the impact and adoption of different practices and interventions was undertaken. In-depth case studies, as well as quantitative data analysis of cropping practices, productivity and profitability and irrigation performance, were used to document impact and change. Piloting and demonstration was across 35 sites and 6 villages in Nepal (Saptari), Bihar (Madhubani), and West Bengal (Cooch Behar) and 6 villages in the Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon districts of northwest Bangladesh. The research approach involved four main steps: • Assessment of sustainable utilization of available ground and surface water resources for irrigation of dry season crops. • Research to identify livelihoods, land tenure, water management institutions, gender relations and different farmer groupings and its impact on water management. • Evaluation of different interventions for improving dry season agriculture. These included biophysical interventions such as the introduction of dry season cropping systems under improved irrigation practices and social interventions including collective farming arrangements. • Capacity building and engagement with local communities and scaling to broader villages and communities. To ensure that effective socio-economic and institutional interventions could be piloted successfully, it was essential for the team to have an in-depth understanding of the socioeconomic, gender and institutional context in the region. A comprehensive review of the history of the region was undertaken, identifying the origins of the present-day agrarian formation and assessing recent trends and stresses on agriculture. This provided insights into the agrarian structure, including the different farmer typologies, and the class and caste relations, which serve to reproduce inequalities (Sugden et al (2016) Report No 1). Water management institutions were also assessed through qualitative case study research and the broader economic context was evaluated through analysis of secondary data. Seasonal irrigation demand was determined for pilot sites, using detailed field and crop records and FAO56 based modeling. Economic and bio-physical crop information was collected from all sites across ten cropping seasons between October 2015 and April 2019. The socio-economic performance of the project interventions was evaluated through regular interaction between the project team and farmers. Project field officers played a key mediating role to keep communication channels open. A series of systematic monitoring and evaluation activities were also mobilized. Integration of biophysical and socio-economic impacts was documented using a case study approach. In total 47 case studies were developed, seventeen of which are being synthesized into a booklet for publishing (“Synthesised Case Studies” (2019) Report No 22). An integrating document allowing analysis across eleven themes is being prepared to support integrated learning from the cases. These themes cover technology and skill development, leadership development, change in attitudes, woman’s empowerment, bargaining capacity, group dynamics, challenges to achieve ownership, ethical community engagement, livelihood security, engagement and linkages with stakeholders.

Source of Information: Technical Report: Australia Centre for International Agricultural Research

Article Link (Online Journal): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337428069

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Innovative social interventions, through the formation of flexible models of farmer collective, proved beneficial to marginal and tenant farmers as well as landlords. Importantly, the formation of collectives overcame many of the common barriers to technical innovation amongst marginalised groups. The collectives made possible the introduction of appropriate high value crops and cost effective irrigation systems, which improved yield and incomes for marginal and tenant farmers. This interdisciplinary approach has developed a potentially ground-breaking model to address the challenges of food security and poverty alleviation in the Eastern Gangetic Plains at a time of high agrarian stress.

Knowledge Management: Journal