AGRICULTURE
Agriculture and Natural Resource Management
Food security is always at the forefront of concerns in Bangladesh and the country has achieved greater grain production through the introduction of new technologies and crop varieties. ASPADA uses the farmer’s groups of microfinance extension model to spread appropriate improve farming practices among our farmers who are quick to adopt profitable and sustainable technology. Being in a farmers group provides our small and marginal farmers with access to government service and support within their groups.
Since its inception, ASPADA Paribesh Unnayan Foundation has been working for agricultural development, and formerly the organization name was “Agroforestry Seed Production and Development Association (ASPADA)” which proves its exertions to agricultural development.
Agriculture Modernization Project
The Agriculture Modernization Project is the thoughtful product of the founder and executive director of ASPADA and it has been implemented from July 2022 with its own fund. Mechanized agriculture and adoption of latest crop production technology is essential to increase crops production to ensure food security commensurate with increase of population. However, the least developed country like Bangladesh is in the back position because the less literate, poor, pastoral community is the driver of the agricultural production system who have less economic and social power. Also, less profitability of crop production is another vital factor that impedes the agriculture mechanization.
So far achievement:
- Established 5 farmers group and each group consist of 50 homogenous farmers
- Separate office set up for the project and recruited qualified technical team
- Modern agricultural machinery set provided to each group consists of 1 tractor, 1 power tiller, 1 rice transplanter, 1 combine harvester, trolly for carries, 1 irrigation pump, 5 weedier etc.
- 4/5 milking and fattening cows provided to each farmer for rearing.
- Distribute all kinds of agro-inputs (seed and seedlings, compost shade, fertilizer) to each farmer including cutting of high yielding grass.
- Providing group-based lessons to enhance their knowledge on agricultural modernization and farming skills.
Challenges and lesson learned:
- Young, educated people nowadays interested to commercial farming and mechanized agriculture
- Governance of each group is important in the cooperative based approach, so need to build their leadership capacity.
- Loan and recovery always is challenging, therefore, need to focus on the quick income generation of farmers households.