Half of local farmers grow only rice though other crops profitable: IFPRI

Though high-value non-rice crops like onions, vegetables, chilies and cut flowers are highly profitable, 52 per cent of Bangladeshi farmers grow only rice as the price of non-rice crops falls whenever production increases slightly, says an IFPRI report.

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) launched the Global Food Policy Report-2018 at a city hotel on Thursday.

IFPRI director general Shenggen Fan presented the keynote presentation and IFPRI Bangladesh Country Representative Akhter Ahmed presented the 'Food Security in Bangladesh within the Global Context'.

Jatiya Sangsad speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was present as the chief guest.

Akhter Ahmed suggested reducing domestic market-induced risks for the production of high-value crops.

The research report suggests formulating policies to encourage private investments in export-oriented and international standard food processing industries and facilitating export of vegetables, fruits, and cut flowers.

The study also showed that despite progress, Bangladesh was in the 'serious' hunger category with about 27 points, lower than India (31).

Bangladesh is the most "favoured" area in South and East Asia and the Pacific countries for agricultural technology adoption as 76 of the country's area is suitable for agriculture while it is 35 per cent for India (second highest) and 10 per cent for China.

Despite economic recovery, inequality is on the rise globally while global hunger is increasing, driven by conflicts and climate change. Food production is strong and food prices are declining anti-globalism and the changing global landscape may create further uncertainties, the latest global food policy report says.

Akhter Ahmed said rice production in Bangladesh was among the top 10 rice producing countries in Asia in 2016. Bangladesh produces 3.2 tonnes per hectare while it is 5.3 tonnes for China, 4.6 tonnes for South Korea and 2.5 tonnes for India. For the USA, per hectare rice yield is 8.0 tonnes.

Agrarian structure in Bangladesh has important implications for technology adoption. About one-third of all farm households are 'pure tenants' (do not own the land they work). Therefore, they have insecure, prohibitive, and unstable access to land through sharecropping or land leasing arrangements, which acts as a deterrent for agricultural technology adoption, Mr Akhter said.

He also suggested framing policies taking into account the implications of this important constraint.

Foreign remittances from migrant Bangladeshi workers are associated with large reduction in child stunting for remittance recipient households. The rate of stunting was about 46 per cent in 2011.

But it was found that after receiving remittance, it declined to 24 per cent in 2015. Impact of remittance on reduction of stunting among children under five is about 15 per cent, he added.

The study found that foreign remittances from migrant Bangladeshi workers play a key role in the domestic economy and help in ensuring food security for migrant source families. Remittance inflow dropped to a five-year low in the fiscal year 2017, mainly due to economic instability in the Middle East.

Any drastic changes in international migration policies in host countries with large Bangladeshi population may pose a challenge to food security of those families.

Mr Akhter said that policies that encourage globalization through more open trade, migration, and knowledge sharing are critical to reductions in hunger and poverty.

Increased restrictions on international migration by the primary host countries may exacerbate food security in high-migrant source countries like Bangladesh.

"Rise of isolationism and protectionism, visible in the US withdrawal from multilateral trade and climate agreements, the UK's 'Brexit' from the EU, and growing anti-immigration rhetoric in developed countries, threatens to slow progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and improved food security and nutrition," the report said.

The Washington-based think-tank, IFPRI, surveyed over 1,000 individuals in 105 countries to know public perception about food security and globalization - 76 per cent of them said tighter borders and migration restrictions will impact food security.

Sixty-six per cent of the respondents think recent anti-globalisation policies and rhetoric will harm the hungry and impoverished. Of the respondents, an overwhelming 72 per cent are dissatisfied with food policies in their own regions while 55 per cent are dissatisfied with global food policies.

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