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

Food Security Situation and Alternative Livelihood Opportunities for Ultra Poor Farming Households of Haor Area

M. Hammadur Rahman
Professor
Dept. of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The paper aims at assessing food security situation and livelihood opportunities existed for the ultra poor farming community in a typical haor area of Kishoreganj district. In addition, food security strategies followed by the farmers during the crisis period and their opinion on poverty alleviation strategies are also discussed. The study was carried out at two villages under Itna and Tarail upazilas of Kishoreganj district. Apart from participatory method, quantitative data were also collected from a sample of 150 ultra poor farmers by using interview schedules during the months of August to October 2009. The seasonal diagramming revealed that ultra poor farmers of the hoar area faced chronic food insecurity during the months of February to April and August to October. Their livelihood opportunity remained limited during the period of inundation, i.e., from May to October. Of the 18 food security strategies, three were found followed by the farmers with more severity, while five and ten strategies being followed with moderate and low severity. The characteristics of the respondents revealed that the ultra poor farmers of the haor area had almost no or very limited human and physical resources for sustaining their livelihoods. The farmers also made a number of opinions on how the government and other concerned agencies can undertake some realistic programmes towards alleviation of abject poverty situation.

Keywords: Food security, Livelihood opportunity, Ultra poor farmers, Haor area

Location: Two villages under Itna and Tarail upazilas of Kishoreganj district

Start Date: 00-08-2009

End Date: 00-10-2009

Program Area: Food Safety and Security

Commodity: Food security, Livelihood, Haor

Objectives:

The following objectives were set forth for the study: (i) determining the food security situation and livelihood opportunities of the ultra poor farming households of the haor area, (ii) determining the food security strategies followed by the ultra poor farmers in the crisis period, (iii) determining the characteristics of rural ultra poor households in flood prone regions, and (iv) suggesting on suitable alternative livelihood options of the ultra poor in the haor region.

Methodology:

Locale of the study: The study was conducted in two Upazilas of the Kishoreganj, a typical haor district of the country. Itna Upazila is located in a deep haor region, while the Tarail upazila locates in the fringe of haors. Data for the research work were to be collected from ultra poor farming household members of these two selected upazilas. Considering the suitability of the study objectives and after consultation with the key-informants of the locality, Damiha village under Tarail Upazila and Madhyagram village under Itna Upazila were selected the specific study areas.

Population and sample of the study: For the research work, a working definition of ultra poor was developed to select the study population and sample. In a slight modification of the definition used by BRAC’s Targeting Ultra Poor Programme, the households were selected as ultra poor were those who (i) owned total land less than 10 decimal, (ii) had no productive assets, (iii) was dependent upon physical labour of the male or female domestic work or begging, (iv) did not have other adult active members in the household, and (v) might have school aged children who were selling labour. Apart from these five mentioned criteria, a farmer was considered ultra poor if she/he had no own land (or less than 10 decimal) and lived on only sharecropping (borga) of other’s land (but land under borga didn’t exceed 50 decimal). Following the abovementioned criteria, a total of 259 (110 and 149 in the selected villages of Tarail and Itna upazilas respectively) ultra poor farming households were identified as the population of the study. Among the population, 150 ultra poor farmers (100 from Tarail and 50 from Itna) were selected as the sample of the study. Population sample was drawn in Tarail and random sampling was done in Itna Upazila.

Measurement of variables: Food security situation along with flood situation and livelihoods opportunity of the farmers in the study area was determined by seasonal diagramming. Food security strategies followed by the farmers was measured by constructing a 4-point rated scale. Eighteen strategies were finally selected through literature review, consultation with a number of key-informants and pretesting of the scale. The coping strategies were arranged in a 4-point continuum (frequently, less frequently, rarely, not at all) in order to perceive a respondent’s extent of practice of the strategies. Farmers’ opinion regarding alternative livelihoods were understood by the frequency count.

Data collection: Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed. A personal interview schedule (structured questionnaire) was used to collect data from the selected respondents under the sample of the study. Besides the questionnaire survey, qualitative methods such as focus group discussion and seasonal diagramming were used for collection necessary information from the respondents. The data were collected from April through September, 2009.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education Volume 24, No. 1&2, 2012:45-51 ISSN 1011-3916

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The findings of the study indicate that majority of the farmers in the haor areas were usually vulnerable to different types of seasonal shocks and disasters mainly due to the special geographical condition of the region. It could be concluded that without strengthening the capacity of farmers in haor in terms of their livelihoods and farming, they would not be free from any form of vulnerability of permanent inundation. The existing social safety net programmes are not the effective solution of their poverty. The Government should undertake specific poverty reduction programmes for ultra poor in the haor areas. Such programmes should include encouraging the private entrepreneurs to establish factories and business in vulnerable areas instead of Dhaka and big cities, initiating special programmes for income generation (training, microcredit, advisory service and marketing opportunity) in collaboration with the NGOs, distribution of khas land (governemtn owned land) and water bodies among the community-based organizations of ultra-poor farmers and fishermen, undertaking special poverty reduction programmes in haor areas like monga prone, charland and coastal areas, working with NGOs and other organizations towards fair distribution of social safety net benefits, promoting appropriate agricultural technologies for resource poor farmers etc

Knowledge Management: Journal