The recent decision by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) to undertake a country-wide project for training farmers across rural areas is indeed a welcome one. The idea is to impart training on integrated methods of cultivation through 20,000 field schools to around 1.0 million male and female farmers. The initiative also aims at creating farmers' organisations as well as establishing links among different service-providing agencies, market controllers and small investment firms.
To implement the proposal, first of its kind in the country, the ECNEC has approved Tk 4.32 billion for the project titled 'Integrated Farm Management Component, Agriculture Production and Employment Programme'. The project will be co-financed by the government and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). About one third of its funding will flow from the public exchequer and the rest will be in the form of project assistance from DANIDA. Agreement between Denmark and Bangladesh on financing was signed sometime back in mid-2013. Expected to be completed by 2018, the project will be executed by the department of agricultural extension, and will be spread over 371 upazilas in 61 districts, except the hilly ones of Chittagong division.
The need for such training to continuously update the knowledge of farmers, most of whom are heavily dependent on traditional methods of farming, is unquestionable. True, the department of agricultural extension (DAE) provides information and services to farmers on a call-off basis, but it is constrained for the most part by dearth of resources, and in the absence of a systematic mechanism in place, farmers are not in a position to familiarise themselves with the concept of farm management in true sense of the term. They approach the DAE staff as and when they face difficulties for advice mostly on a set of stereotypes such as the application of fertilisers for various crops, eradication of plant diseases, use of insecticides and so on. Given the existing limitations, one must not undermine these services, but the fact remains farmers in general are far from acquainted with farm management in an integrated manner.
The project, if executed with need-based assessments that may vary from one location to another, will improve the capacity of both the male and female farmers in not only improving cultivation methods but also, equally important, in farm management in all its related components. It is further expected that avenues for farm-based employment -- dependent on how suitably the project delivery is executed -- will also expand in rural areas. One of the key objectives should be to address the area-specific peculiarities. Bringing in small and marginal farmers within the project ambit and providing them with marketing tools for their produce through small cooperatives may result in meaningful and tangible outcomes.
What has been characteristic of projects in most cases is that once completed, there is little effort to take follow-up activities. This, no doubt, renders most development projects ineffective, as abandoning the works initiated under projects leaves little or no room for sustaining the results in a meaningful way. The authorities, including the implementing body, should pay due attention to this.
