A good number of villagers in Bangladesh invests considerable time and energy in subsidiary economic gardening. This is often in the form of a vegetable garden and tree orchard in whatever household land is available to them. In fact, this has been the mainstay both for the basic nutrition balance and the homestead forestry, the contribution of which to the rural economy and people's well-being is well recognised.
However, the practitioners of such gardening usually follow traditional technologies. The absence of better seeds has been one of their acute problems. The extent of support services for farmers during the last decade in Bangladesh has proved itself to be an efficacious development in agriculture sector. But in Bangladesh agriculture is losing yield at an alarming rate due to lack of agricultural inputs, particularly quality seeds and other planting materials called plant Genetic Resources (PGR). The PGR has otherwise the strong potential for raising production satisfactorily. For this, people are losing their interest in agriculture and do accept risky and harmful jobs likely non-motorised transport pulling, brick cheeping or any kind of industrial jobs where people face technical problems. Nowadays, a large number of people of this country are misplaced due to a number of reasons, including army others, the following; (i.) people cannot make adequate money from agriculture, (ii.) other industrial sectors like garments, hides & skin etc., are found more suitable for earning more money. The common people -- as, about 81.04% of the Ishwarganj upazilla, Mymensingh district through a study conducted by Rainbow Nari o Shishu Kallayan Foundation have expressed -- note the afore-mentioned reasons.
Thus, two farmer families live adjacent to one another. One has a good quality mango tree and the other has the same as a jackfruit tree. Both families mutually exchange their variety and become owners of two good quality trees. This is an example but it can bring about a tremendous change in our agriculture sector.
Due to improvements of the agricultural sector, it is necessary to accumulate a large number of treasured Plant Genetic Resources (PGRs) that are scattered over the country and to conserve the same in a maximum convenient arena that is "PGR conservation at the community level". It will be an extensively large source of available planting materials. Field conservation is a rational way of doing things to improve and strengthen our national ability in PGR conservation and use, thereby contributing to food security and sustainable economic development now and for the future generations.
In Bangladesh, existing 'Gene Banks' are not adequate enough for PGR conservation. This results in loss of valuable fundamental PGR day after day. Now it is time to give attention to PGR conservation widely. The Agricultural Extension Policy-1996, in its short- and mid-term objectives, mentioned the needs for improving the quality and availability of planting materials and reducing environmental degradation. The Agricultural Policy of Bangladesh also focused primarily on food security, growth of a self-reliant economy, development of agro-based industries and value added products, crop diversification, export augmentation and employment generation. The community-level PGR activities can play a vital role in implementation of such related government policies successfully.
Rainbow Nari o Shishu Kallayan Foundation has critically observed that the people of the locality covered under the survey mentioned before, have no skill on industrial activities are they an used to work in agricultural sector. They need only quality planting materials, eco-friendly technologies, cost-effective inputs and equipment, updated information and value added marketing chain. These are the potentials for our agriculture sector that has its intrinsic economic strength, for ensuring sustainable daily income of the common people.
A master plan is required as a unique model for locating the sources of better seeds and planting materials, having the desired genetic quality for sustainable agricultural growth and improvement of bio-diversity conditions within the local ecosystem, reduction of environmental degradation as well as introduction of eco-friendly technology at the farmer level. Trained and motivated farmers, technical persons of government organisations (Gos) and NGOs, students of educational institutes and researchers, all should be engaged, from their own context to locate and collect plus trees and other PGRs all over the country. In this case, participatory approach, with local leaders and the aged people, may be of good help. The contributions of farm families, communities and indigenous peoples are also critical to find out, conserve, use, actively enhance PGR activities and promote biological diversity.
Technologies for identification of the sources of PGR and conservation methods of seeds and other planting materials including field conservation technologies can be transferred through hands-on training and training on easy, cost-effective and successive technologies of reproduction system. These should be provided to the farm families, communities and the indigenous people. Simple motivational campaigns with nominal incentives for participatory conservation and breeding practices may help overcome the conflicting situation, providing positive impact on ecosystem.
The climate of this country is sub-tropical monsoon and its six seasons are otherwise favourable for agricultural activities. So field conservation at the community level can be suitable for all over the country. A few number of partner organisations of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) have recently been using in-house PGR conservation process for preserving seeds or other planting materials successfully. Now it is needed to expand the same throughout the country.
People want their profit for uphold livelihood. With the help of PGR activities, the local people can earn extra money by selling their expertise, technologies, PGR products and finally yields. On the other hand, locality can be abundant with quality crops, fruits, vegetables as well as different kinds of consumable products that can ensure local communities' sustainable economic development. Social degradations like mixing low-quality products, stealing fruits, telling lies, giving weight-lost products etc., can then be protected through marketing increased production. The common people will gain expertise on plant breeding process and then different technical endeavours likely sowing, planting, intercultural operations, harvesting, post-harvesting activities, conservation of both PGRs and consumable crops and, finally, marketing their products will help them to become self-sufficient as well as self-reliant.
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The writer is Training Officer, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation. He may be reached at e-mail:
[email protected]
