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CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN BANGLADESH - M. Enamul Hoque*

* Director-General, Department of Agriculture Extension, Ministry of Agriculture, Khamarbari, Farmgate,
Dhaka, Bangladesh.

1. INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is the single most important sector of the economy in Bangladesh. It is the major source of livelihood in the
rural areas, where some 80 percent of the population live. Approximately two-thirds of the labour force is employed in
agriculture. Although its share in the GDP is predictably declining, agriculture (crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry)
contributes approximately one-third of the GDP and agricultural production accounts for 32 percent of the value of
exports. The performance of this sector affects the overall economic growth. With irrigation covering only around 42
percent of the potentially irrigated area, agriculture is still weather dependent and has grown slower than was earlier
expected, particularly because of the predominantly small farmer holdings in Bangladesh.

However, Bangladesh is endowed with a favourable climate and soil conditions for the production of a variety of crops
all the year round. The rich genetic estate, the richness in ecosystem diversity, and the vast untapped human
resources who can learn and adopt new skills have been the major points of comparative advantage in Bangladesh.
Thus, there are ample opportunities for crop diversification balancing the production of major crops with that of minor
crops. The crop diversification programme (CDP) was launched in the country during the early 1990's. A systematic
arrangement of growing a variety of crops in rotation with rice was undertaken, based on farmers' own choice and
performances with respect to soil and climatic conditions, thereby ensuring a variety of diverse dietary standards and
nutritional status of the rural households. Due attention was given to the protection of nutrient balances in the soil and
of all major basic resource endowments in crop production. Improved crop sequences involving rotation of soil
exhausting crops followed by recuperative ones, shallow rooted crops followed by deep-rooted ones, legumes in
rotation with non-legumes, etc., are envisaged to enrich and maintain soil fertility and crop productivity. In this way it
becomes possible to ensure some degree of constancy in crop production, by destabilizing many of the limiting biotic
and abiotic stresses.

The key objectives of agricultural development, involving sustainable intensification of rice production and location-
specific attempts on crop diversification in the small farmer holdings of Bangladesh, have been aimed at achieving
self-sufficiency in food grains production in a sustainable manner by improving the productivity on a short and medium
term basis. Another objective is to attain self-reliance in the long-term. To enhance farmers' income through the
production of high-value crops and to help maintain a better soil structure for long-term sustainability, a recent policy
statement on crop agriculture has called for a departure from “rice-led” growth to a more diversified production base
that includes several non-rice crops. The production of rice as of now has exceeded 22.5 million tonnes and that of
wheat 2 million tonnes. Maize production increased by 138 percent during the period 1995/96 to 1997/98. The
government is also implementing programmes to promote crop diversification involving high-value crops, fruits and
vegetables, potatoes, oilseeds, pulses and spices through appropriate packages of seed-fertilizer-irrigation
technologies, This is expected to increase employment, rural income and improve nutritional standards.

2. CROP PRODUCTION AND ECONOMIC SCENARIO

2.1 Review of Past Performance of the Crops Sector

Bangladesh made steady progress in crop agriculture in the post-Independence period. The cropping intensity
increased from 148 to 179 percent and foodgrain production almost doubled during the period from 1969/70 to
1992/93. Contributing about 75 percent of the value-added, crops form the largest sub-sector of agriculture. Rice is
the dominant crop and largely determines the rate of progress in the agriculture sector and to a significant extent, that
of the non-agricultural sectors. It covers about 75 percent of the cropped area and accounts for about 70 percent of
the value of crop output. In fact, the entire growth in crop production is due to the growth in foodgrain production,
particularly rice. Yield of other non-cereal crops such as pulses, oilseeds and vegetables almost stagnated, while that
of wheat increased only marginally.

In 1993/94 and 1994/95, foodgrain production declined as a result of depressed prices and natural disasters,
particularly floods and droughts in the northwest, which is the country's surplus gain production region. The average
foodgrain production during these two years dropped to 18.71 million metric tonnes (Mt) from the average of 19.31
million Mt during the preceding three years from 1990/91 to 1992/93. While drought conditions prevailed during these
years, the decline in the rice production in 1993/94 was also due to both damage by floods and the farmers' response
to the fall in the price of rice in the preceding year as evidenced by more that 4 percent decline in fertilizer
consumption, more than 2 percent reduction in area sown and similar decline in irrigation command area. In 1994/95
total foodgrain production was only 18.17 million Mt as against the expected production of 20 million Mt. This trend
started improving from 1995/96 with a foodgrain production of 19.14 million Mt. The year 1996/97 witnessed an all
time high foodgrain production of about 20.43 million Mt and it is touching almost 25 million tonnes during the current
year 1999/2000. Food production, though continuing to depend on the vagaries of nature, increased substantially over
the years, following the introduction of high yielding varieties (HYV) and application of modern inputs like fertilizers and
pesticides. However, its dependence on weather continues to result in fluctuations in production. Wide fluctuations in
production leads to large instability in foodgrain prices having serious implications for household food security and
also for the welfare of the people.

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Production of jute fibre reached as high as 8.66 million bales in 1985/86. The production level declined to 4.92 million
bales in 1992/93 and has hovered around this level since then. Sugar cane production has remained more or less 7.50
million Mt since 1987/88. Production of potatoes has shown a steady increase. It increased from 0.89 million Mt in
1975/76 to 1.47 million Mt in 1994/95. Other crops like pulses and oilseeds have shown only marginal improvement
nationwide. However, implementation of the crop diversification programme (CDP) during 1990/95 in 125 Thanas
gave promising results in terms of yield per hectare of maize, pulses, oilseeds, potatoes, vegetables, etc.

As regards performance of modern inputs, the irrigated area increased to about 4 million hectares in 1996/97 from the
level of 2.65 million hectares in 1990/91. Ground water irrigation covered 68.5 percent of the total irrigated area while
the surface water irrigation was only 31.5 percent in 1996/97. Ground water irrigation witnessed significant expansion
during the last two decades. Use of chemical fertilizers increased from 2 million Mt in 1990/91 to 3.02 million Mt in
1995/96. Public sector seed distribution (mainly rice and wheat) occupies only about 5 percent of the total
requirements. The large part of the seed requirement is met by the private sector.

The reforms of the agriculture sector have been quite pronounced and visible. For over a decade a wide range of
policy reforms have been implemented in the agricultural sector. A few of these are privatization of input distribution,
withdrawal of input and food subsidy, import liberalization and a broadening of the scope of private investment in
agriculture. In recent years, the coverage of policy reforms in the agriculture sector has substantially expanded to
include minor irrigation equipment, agricultural machinery, seeds and agricultural trade.

2.2 Crop Production during the Fifth Five Year Plan

The projection of crop production during the Plan has been worked out keeping in view the production possibilities,
agronomic consideration, availability of production inputs and farmers' accessibility to resources and willingness to
increase production within the prevailing agro-economic condition. Emphasis will be put on increasing yield per hectare
rather than increasing cropped area and shifting from local varieties to the HYVs. The purpose of foodgrain
production, in addition to attaining self-sufficiency, will be to provide nutritious food for the entire population.

Bangladesh is endowed with favourable climate and soils for the production of a variety of crops throughout the year.
The winter crops are greater in number than the summer monsoon crops. The production of major and minor crops
became unbalanced in recent years due to greater emphasis given on cereals, especially rice and wheat. The situation
needs to be improved for balanced diet of the people.

The production of minor crops such as pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, spices, etc., is currently inadequate to
provide for the required nutrition in the daily diet of the people. Such a situation will not be allowed to continue.
Accelerated production of minor crops, complementary but not competitive with major food crops production as per
the requirement for reducing pressure on cereals, will be pursued during the Fifth Plan period. This will improve the
daily diet of the people, generate rural employment by intensive cropping with improved technologies, increase farm
income and thereby increase the purchasing power of the rural masses. It will also improve the balance of payments
by promoting import substitution and export oriented crops.

Fruits and vegetables are important sources of minerals and vitamins and provide a part of the calorie requirement in
the daily diet of the people. They also provide most of the food roughage, which contributes to the prevention of
disorders of the digestive system. Besides, vegetable protein appears to be superior to animal protein. The nutritional
status of the Bangladeshi diet is on a declining trend due to low intake of vegetables, fruits and spices. The increased
production and intake of vegetables by the people will help compensate for debilitating nutritional deficiencies.

The foodgrain production in the terminal year of the Fifth Plan has been projected to be 25.12 million Mt. Out of this,
rice production is expected to be 23.40 million Mt as against the production of 18.88 million Mt in 1996/97. The
estimates for wheat and other coarse grain production have been made at 1.60 million Mt and 0.12 million Mt,
respectively, in the terminal year of the Plan. The actual and projected production of important crops are shown in
Tables 1 and 2 and the details of trade in Tables 3 and 4.

Table 1. Production Projection of Important Crops during the Fifth Plan (Area in million hectares and production
in million metric tonnes unless otherwise noted)

1996-97 (Benchmark) 2001-2002 (Projection)

Crops
Area Production Area Production
1 2 3 4 5
Rice 10.40 18.88 10.11 23.40
Wheat 0.71 1.45 0.70 1.60
Sub-Total 11.11 20.33 10.81 25.00
Other coarse grain 0.10 0.10 0.12 0.12
Total Foodgrain 11.21 20.43 10.93 25.12
Potato 0.15 1.85 0.16 2.43
Sweet Potato 0.05 0.50 0.05 0.66
Oilseeds 0.50 0.37 0.70 0.76
Pulses 0.65 0.53 0.78 0.85
Spices 0.15 0.33 0.22 0.50
Vegetables 0.25 1.45 0.30 1.82
Fruits 0.19 2.14 0.26 3.54
Jute (million bales) 0.51 4.87 0.57 7.24
Cotton (million bales) 0.04 0.10 0.11 0.26
Sugar cane 0.18 8.10 0.18 12.37
Tea (million kg) 0.05 54.00 0.05 60.00
Tobacco 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.04

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Table 2. Area, Yield and Production of Crops Commercially Grown in Bangladesh (Area: In Lac Hectare;
Production: In Lac Metric Tonnes)

1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 Average for last 5 years

Name of
Sl Area Production Area Production Area Production Area Production Area Production Area Production Yield/hectare
Crops
in tonnes
1 Aus:
HYV 4.14 7.02 4.19 7.02 4.76 8.43 4.90 8.72 4.41 7.28 4.48 7.69 1.72
Local 12.50 10.89 11.23 9.74 11.16 10.28 10.75 10.03 9.83 8.89 11.09 9.97 0.90
Total Aus 16.64 17.91 15.42 16.76 15.92 18.71 15.65 18.75 14.24 16.17 15.57 17.66 1.13
2 Aman:
B. Aman 9.55 9.04 8.37 7.89 8.40 8.66 8.14 7.80 6.01 5.38 8.09 7.75 0.96
T. Aman:
HYV 21.47 44.83 22.68 46.81 24.72 53.60 25.47 52.06 24.63 47.41 23.79 48.94 2.06
Local 24.92 31.17 25.42 33.20 24.91 33.26 24.48 28.64 21.01 24.57 24.15 30.17 1.25
Total T. 46.39 76.00 48.10 80.01 49.63 86.86 49.95 80.70 45.64 71.89 47.94 79.11 1.65
Aman
Total 55.94 85.04 56.47 87.90 58.03 95.52 58.09 88.50 51.65 77.36 56.04 86.86 1.55
Aman
3 Boro:

HYV 24.10 62.01 25.07 68.52 25.47 71.05 26.71 77.96 32.82 101.53 26.83 76.21 2.84
Local 2.54 3.37 2.47 3.69 2.36 3.55 2.18 3.41 2.46 3.99 2.40 3.60 1.50
Total 26.64 65.38 27.54 72.21 27.83 74.60 28.89 81.37 35.28 105.52 29.24 79.82 2.73
Boro
Total HYV 49.71 113.86 51.94 122.35 54.95 133.08 57.08 138.74 61.86 156.22 55.11 132.85 2.41
Rice
Total 49.51 54.47 47.49 54.52 46.83 55.75 45.55 49.88 39.31 42.83 45.74 51.49 1.13
Local
Rice
Total Rice 99.22 168.33 99.43 176.87 101.78 188.83 102.63 188.62 101.17 199.05 100.85 184.34 1.83
4 Wheat 6.39 12.45 7.01 13.69 7.08 14.54 8.05 18.03 8.82 19.08 7.47 15.56 2.08
Total Rice 105.61 180.78 106.44 190.56 108.86 203.37 110.68 206.65 109.99 218.13 108.32 199.90 1.85
& Wheat
5 Maize 0.09 0.25 0.10 0.27 0.13 0.46 0.19 0.80 0.24 0.85 0.15 0.53 3.51
Total 105.70 181.03 106.54 190.83 108.99 203.83 110.87 207.45 110.23 218.98 108.47 200.42 1.85
Food
Crops
6 Pulses 7.10 5.34 6.98 5.25 6.89 5.25 6.84 5.19 6.25 5.10 6.81 5.23 0.77
7 Oilseeds 4.53 3.35 5.55 4.71 5.53 4.78 5.61 4.83 5.80 5.20 5.40 4.57 0.85
8 Potato 1.32 14.68 1.32 14.92 1.34 15.08 1.36 15.53 1.42 18.50 1.35 15.74 11.64
9 S. Potato 0.46 4.34 0.45 4.35 0.43 4.06 0.42 3.98 0.40 3.81 0.43 4.11 9.51
10 Vegetable 2.32 12.03 1.91 12.44 1.96 13.13 2.00 13.29 2.15 14.75 2.07 13.13 6.35
11 Sugar 1.80 74.46 1.74 71.65 1.76 75.21 1.75 73.79 1.67 60.00 1.74 71.02 40.72
cane
12 Jute 5.60 53.11 4.58 40.74 5.07 48.66 5.77 58.24 5.25 47.20 5.25 49.59 9.44

Table 3. Bangladesh Foodgrain Trade, 1980/81 - 1998/99 (000 Mt)

Food Aid Commercial Public Import Private Import Total Import

Year
Rice Wheat Total Rice Wheat Total Rice Wheat Total Rice Wheat Total Rice Wheat Total
1980/81 19 732 751 65 260 325 84 992 1076 84 992 1076
1981/82 30 1111 1141 114 0 114 144 1111 1255 144 1111 1255
1982/83 131 845 976 186 682 868 317 1527 1844 317 1527 1844
1983/84 117 1324 1441 62 553 615 179 1877 2056 179 1877 2056
1984/85 125 1181 1306 570 717 1287 695 1898 2593 695 1898 2593
1985/86 27 1060 1087 10 103 113 37 1163 1200 37 1163 1200
1986/87 108 1317 1425 150 192 342 258 1509 1767 258 1509 1767
1987/88 192 1595 1787 398 732 1130 590 2327 2917 590 2327 2917
1988/89 40 1316 1356 21 759 780 61 2075 2136 61 2075 2136
1989/90 41 908 949 258 326 584 299 1234 1533 299 1234 1533
1990/91 10 1530 1540 0 37 37 10 1567 1577 10 1567 1577
1991/92 39 1375 1414 0 150 150 39 1525 1564 39 1525 1564
1992/93 19 716 735 0 93 93 19 809 828 0 355 355 19 1164 1183
1993/94 0 654 654 0 0 0 0 654 654 74 238 312 74 892 966
1994/95 0 935 935 230 390 620 230 1325 1555 583 430 1013 813 1755 2568
1995/96 1 737 738 487 352 839 488 1089 1577 650 200 850 1138 1289 2427

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1996/97 10 608 618 9 103 112 19 711 730 15 222 237 34 933 967
1997/98 0 549 549 0 650 650 0 1199 1199 993 142 1135 992.6 1341 2334
1998/99 59 1174 1233 334 429 763 393 1603 1996 2663 805 3468 3056 2408 5464
Average (1980/81 - 89/90) 83 1139 1222 183 432 616 266 1571 1838 0 0 0 266 1571 1838
Average (1990/91 - 98/99) 15 920 935 118 245 363 133 1165 1298 711 342 1053 686 1430 2117

Source: Directorate of Food and NBR.

Table 4. Trade of Crops/products (Import, Export)

Import (in Million dollars) Export (in Million dollars)

Name of Crops
1996-97 1997-98 1997-98 (Jul-Dec) 1998-99 1996-97 1997-98 1997-98 (Jul-Dec) 1998-99
Rice 28.0 247.0 6.0 309.0
Wheat 156.0 122.0 69.0 146.0
Oilseed 62.0 93.0 48.0 50.0
Edible oil 296.0 216.0 122.0 138.0
Tea 38.14 47.47 40.84 36.36
Vegetables 24.91 32.47 19.72 15.00
Raw Jute 116.31 107.77 85.59 47.77
Frozen Food 320.73 293.84 227.44 202.07
Others 26.33 20.38 16.87 15.96
Leather 195.48 190.26 138.43 124.03
Jute goods 317.86 281.42 207.72 211.66

Source: Bangladesh Economic Survey, 1999, MOF, Govt. of Bangladesh.

2.3 Maize and Other Coarse Grains

Maize is now considered as a substitute for both rice and wheat since it can be grown in all seasons. From maize one
may get food, oil, fuel, fodder and feed. The present yield potential is too low. It can be increased to the level of HYV
wheat provided hybrid varieties are used, adequate demand is created, and fair prices to the growers can be ensured.
The genetic yield potential of maize is very high. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) has already
developed five high yielding medium duration maize varieties with grain yield potential of 5-7 Mt/hectare, suitable for
flood prone areas. The maize production is planned to increase by 250 percent to 12,500 Mt in 2001/2002 from the
benchmark production of about 5,000 Mt. Besides maize, other coarse grains consisting of barley, sorghum, bajra,
and millets have considerable importance from the point of use of water resources and development of
agro-industries. Considering the increased importance of these minor crops as supplementary food, cattle feed, and
industrial raw materials, an increased production programme for these crops will be taken up during the Fifth Plan
period, using hybrids.

2.4 Horticultural Crops, Pulses and Oilseeds

The environment in Bangladesh is quite rich for the production of a large variety of fruits and vegetables. Some fruits
such as mango, banana, pineapple, jackfruit, etc., have world demand. The main problem of fruit production is its
seasonal nature. Year-round production varieties have yet to be evolved. Special efforts will be made during the Fifth
Plan to produce at least major fruits and vegetables on a year-round basis and commercialize their production through
appropriate research and development programmes. At the same time, emphasis will be given on the qualitative and
quantitative improvement of various fruits and vegetables production, including production of mushrooms, flowers,
orchids and shrubs, etc. Production of fruits and vegetables has been projected to be 3.54 million Mt and 1.82 million
Mt, respectively, by the end of the Plan period.

Potato: Potato is suitable as a security crop in times of rice shortages due to its high carbohydrate content
contributing to improved food security. It is also used as a vegetable by various income groups of the country. Since it
is a short duration crop, its increased use can reduce the pressure on rice and wheat. Considering the production
potential of the crop, potato production is projected to grow to 2.43 million Mt in 2001/2002. The increased production
is expected to come from expansion in cropped area and increase in yield per hectare. To this end, true potato seed
technology will be encouraged and adopted.

Sweet potato: Sweet potato is considered as a subsistence as well as a poor people's food. Hence, its production
will be encouraged on marginal lands, homestead areas, roadsides and elsewhere as a low input crop to ensure its
continued availability to, and affordability by low income consumers. Sweet potato production is projected to be 0.66
million Mt in the terminal year of the Fifth Plan.

Pulses: The pulses of Bangladesh comprise of six major crops, namely, lentil, khesari, blackgram, mungbean,
chickpea and pigeon pea. Cowpea occupies an important place in the Chittagong area. The cropped area and
production of these pulses have been on the decline over the past few years mainly because of the increased
emphasis on HYV rice and wheat. But pulses are very important because of their protein supply to the human diet and
nitrogen fixation for soil nutrition. Since improved technology can increase per hectare yield of pulses substantially,
pulse production is projected to grow to 0.85 million Mt in the terminal year of the Plan as against the benchmark
production of 0.53 million Mt.

Oilseeds: Vegetable oil from oilseeds is the main sources of fats in the average Bangladeshi diet. Its present level of
consumption is only 25 percent of the FAO/WHO recommended level. Efforts will be made to increase oilseeds
production to 0.76 million Mt by the terminal year of the Fifth Plan. Groundnut, sunflower and soybean have been
included in this projected production. New seed varieties are being used in the defined area to avoid cross-pollination.
Production of foundation and certified seeds of improved varieties and demonstrations of modern technology are

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important strategies to increase oilseeds production of the country.

2.5 Cash Crop Production during the Fifth Five Year Plan

Jute: Jute is the major fibre crop of the country. Despite the relative decline in importance of jute in agriculture,
potential still exists for the fibre to increase its contribution to the economy through productivity increases and
diversification. The share of raw jute and jute goods in the total exports of the country has been declining but still
remains significant. In this situation, special measures will be taken during the Plan period to encourage farmers to
further intensify jute production in order to satisfy domestic and export demand. To enable jute to compete with
synthetics, emphasis will be given to related agricultural and technological research efforts. The raw jute production is
projected to go up to 7.24 million bales in 2001/2002 as against 4.87 million bales in 1996/97 through per hectare yield
increase, availability of better quality seeds, and improved provision of extension and credit support to growers.

Tea: Tea is one of the most dynamic agro-based, labour intensive, export oriented industries of Bangladesh. It plays a
vital role in the national economy in both export earnings as well as in employment generation. Plantation and
production of processed tea are the two main activities in the private sector. In the public sector, green leaf production
was promoted through development projects implemented by the Bangladesh Tea Board. With the introduction of high
yielding varieties, quality planting materials, timely application of production inputs and installation of modern
machinery, tea has undergone further improvement and enabled Bangladesh to compete more effectively with other
exporting countries. Increased production is expected to come from higher yields and by reducing tea vacancies now
existing in the gardens.

Tobacco: Tobacco is one of the important cash crops of the country. The crop grows well in sandy, well aerated, well
drained soils and cool climate. Hence, it is grown as a Rabi crop and most of the area is concentrated in the greater
districts of Kushtia and Rangpur. Due efforts to expand tobacco cultivation since 1973/74 through support from big
cigarette manufacturing firms self-sufficiency in tobacco production was achieved by 1980/81. However, recognizing
tobacco's adverse effects on health, policies will be adopted to limit its production by the gradual reduction of cropped
area in favour of cotton and pulses. The production of tobacco has been projected to be 0.04 million Mt by the
terminal year of the Fifth Plan.

Cotton: Cotton played a very important role in improving the socio-economic conditions of the farmers during the
previous Plan period. The production has gone up from 45,800 bales in 1983/84 to about 1,00,000 bales in 1996/97.
The yield of seed cotton per hectare has reached a reasonably high level; yet the yield of cotton in the country is low
compared to world standards. The major constraints to increased production are inadequate ginning capacity and
seed multiplication programme, insufficient expertise and material resources, inefficient system of management, and
ineffective extension and marketing organization. Textile mills should encourage commercial plantation through
cooperatives in suitable cotton belts. During the Plan period, efforts will be made to provide loans to farmers to ensure
supply of improved seeds, fertilizers, plant protection measures, irrigation and credit facilities to the growers along
with the practicing of improved technologies in the cotton fields. Cotton production has been projected to be 0.26
million bales by the terminal year of the Fifth Plan as against 0.10 million bales in 1996/97.

Sugar cane: Sugar is the country's most important agro-industry and sugar cane is one of the important cash crops.
Sugar cane is grown as a 12-15 month crop in a two year rotation with Aus rice crop during the monsoon season
followed in the dry months by oilseeds, wheat or vegetables. Sugar cane yields in the country are low by world
standards and the quality is poor. The average yield of sugar cane is about 6.1 Mt per hectare with a sugar recovery
rate of 8.10 percent. Sugar cane is grown on about 0.18 million hectares of land. Of this, about 0.095 million hectares
are in the sugar mill zone areas and the rest in the non-mill zone areas which produce sugar cane mostly for making
gur consumed by the rural people. Research efforts will be strengthened to raise yield per hectare through varietal
improvement, better management of water resources, fertilizers and other inputs, improved cropping systems and
development of a sugar cane delivery system from farms to mills. Considering the past consumption trend, milling
capacity and possible growth rate of production, sugar cane production is projected to be 12.37 million Mt in the
terminal year of the Fifth Plan as against the benchmark production of 8.10 million Mt.

2.6 Special Agricultural Zones

Apart from plain land agriculture, there are special agro-ecological zones, which have quite high growth potentials.
Specific development policy, strategy and programmes for these zones are needed to exploit the existing potentials of
the following areas: (a) the upland in the hilly areas of Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet, (b) the wetland in
greater Mymensingh, Sylhet, Jessore, Pabna, Rajshahi, etc., and (c) the coastal areas of the southern part of
Bangladesh. Each requires a distinct set of policies, strategies and programmes because of differences in
agro-ecological environment. Research, extension and input delivery will be so designed as to meet the specific
requirements of these special agro-ecological zones.

Rainfed Farming: Crop production in Bangladesh is predominantly monsoon dependent. Of the total rainfed areas,
about 3 million ha is estimated to be prone to severe drought. The entire Barind and Modhupur Tracts, constituting
about 12 percent of the total arable area are characterized by soils of shallow depth having low moisture holding
capacity and heavy sub-surface clay. Crop production in these areas and in the Gangetic flood plains is mainly
dependent on rainfall and on the inundation from the Ganges river and its tributaries. However, for the whole of the
Ganges belt, including the Barind and Modhupur Tracts, no rainfed farming practice specially suited to the prevailing
soil and agro-climatic condition has yet been developed. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop drought
tolerant crop varieties and drought mitigating technologies that will make maximum use of the land resources of the
rainfed farming systems. Rainfed farming practices will also include supplementary irrigation which will help increase
crop production during the Kharif season.

Wetland Farming: Large areas of wetland commonly known as beels, baors and haors in the greater districts of
Sylhet, Mymensingh, Jessore, Rajshahi and Pabna hold quite high potentials for the development of crop agriculture
and fisheries. Crop agriculture and fish production can be carried out simultaneously. Besides, preservation of
biodiversity of the wetland will be given high priority. Greater attention will be given during the Fifth Five Year Plan to
exploit the potentials of crop agriculture and fisheries through the provision of a situation specific package of
development programmes for research, extension, input supply, etc.

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Coastal Farming: Coastal areas in the southern part of Bangladesh constitute a specific ecological zone having
specific problems and possibilities. Cyclones, tidal bores, salinity, etc., affecting agricultural output frequently visit
these areas. Therefore, there is need for developing a salinity resistant variety of rice, for example, for these areas.
Coconut, betel nut, palm and mangrove are major cash crops in these areas. Location specific research, extension
and other programmes will be developed and provided for the purpose of exploiting the potentials.

Hill Farming: The upland in the hilly areas of the greater Chittagong district, Chittagong hill tracts and Sylhet district
constitute a special agricultural zone requiring location specific services and programmes. High potentials exist for the
production of fruits, spices and vegetables in these areas. Agricultural development potentials in these areas are quite
substantial. Resources will be provided to develop appropriate technologies that are suitable for upland agriculture.

Cropping Intensity: Bangladesh has, by 1996/97, achieved an estimated cropping intensity of about 185 percent. Out
of the net cropped area of 7.6 million hectares, about 55 percent is double cropped and approximately 15 percent
triple cropped. However, about 30 percent is still single cropped. Since all the suitable land is already under cultivation,
raising the intensity of land use is needed. It is expected that cropping intensity will reach 192 percent by the terminal
year of the Fifth Plan. Cropping intensity from 1992/93 to 2001/2002 is shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Cropping Intensity from 1992/93 to 2001/2002 (Area in million hectares)

Net Land Area Total Cropped Area Cropping Intensity

1992/93 7.64 13.70 179%
1996/97 7.60 14.08 185%
2001/2002 (Projection) 7.50 14.41 192%

3. PATTERNS OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN THE COUNTRY AND SUCCESSFUL CROP SEQUENCES

The rate of population increase was 2.8 percent during the 1960's. To feed the ever increasing population, the
Government placed emphasis on the production of cereals crops, mainly rice, with the introduction of HYVs of rice
and wheat both from home and abroad by launching 'Green Revolution' and ITAP 'Grow More Food' programmes. As
a result, production of major cereal crops i.e., rice and wheat, increased tremendously. But the production of minor
cereal crops like pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits and spices declined gradually year after year and finally failed to
keep pace with the rapid population growth. This involved the use of a huge amount of valuable foreign exchange in
importing those minor cereal crops to improve the nutritional and nutrient status of the people and of the soils.

Minor cereal crops are relatively cheap sources of protein and calorie and they also have a positive impact on the
nutrient balance of the soil. The farmers can easily cultivate these crops after harvesting the major ones. With this
realization and to reduce the huge drain of foreign exchange in importing those crops, the Government of Bangladesh
launched a Crop Diversification Programme in the 1990's. After mass awareness creation through demonstrations and
other mass media, the farmers started adopting this programme. The crop diversification patterns that are being
followed in the country are given below:-

Land Type Cropping Pattern

High 1. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow
2. Potato - Boro (HYV) - T.Aman
3. Pulses - Jute - Fallow
4. Wheat - Kaon - T.Aman
5. Tomato - Aus - Vegetables
Medium 1. Potato - Boro - T.Aman
2. Wheat - T.Aman - Pulses
3. Oilseed - Boro - T.Aman
4. Boro - T.Aman - Mustard
5. Tomato - Aus - Vegetable
Low 1. Potato - Boro B.Aman
2. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow
3. Kaon - T.Aman - Fallow
4. Wheat - Boro - T.Aman
5. Jute - T.Aman - Fallow

The forces that led crop diversification are described for each major pattern as follows:

Major Patterns Forces

i. Potato - Boro (HYV) - T.Aman a. Irrigation facility
b. Maximum return
c. Land suitability
ii. Wheat - Kaon - T.Aman a. Irrigation facility
b. Credit facility
c. Land suitability
iii. Pulses - Aus - Vegetables a. Improving soil fertility
b. Balanced diet
c. Maximum profit
iv. Wheat - Aus - T.Aman a. Irrigation facilities
b. Credit facility

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c. Land suitability
v. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow a. Land suitability
b. Demand of cereal foods
c. Improving sol fertility.

Rice, in Bangladesh, is grown throughout the year in three distinct cropping seasons both in irrigated, lowland and
upland conditions as follows:

i) Irrigated conditions 1. Potato - Kaon - T.Aman

2. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow
3. Wheat - Kaon - T.Aman
4. Potato - Boro - T.Aman
5. Tomato - Aus - T.Aman
6. Pulses - Aus - Fallow
ii) Lowland conditions 1. Wheat - T.Aman - Fallow
2. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow
3. Potato - Boro - Aus
4. Aus - T.Aman - Fallow
5. Kaon - T.Aman - Fallow
6. Boro (HYV) - Fallow - Fallow
iii) Upland conditions 1. Mustard - Kaon - T.Aman
2. Potato - Kaon - T.Aman
3. Spices - T.Aman - Fallow
4. Wheat - Vegetable - T.Aman
5. Pulses - Aus - T.Aman
6. Wheat - Jute - T.Aman

Diversification around Upland Crops: The upland crops can only survive for a short period if the root zone remains
saturated. Most of the CDP crops cannot sustain growth in saturated soils for more than one or two days. Moreover,
high rainfall during critical growth stages badly damages the upland crops. With adequate irrigation, most of the
uplands can become highly suitable for diversified crops during the dry season and moderately suitable rice fields
during the wet seasons. For this, between two main rice crops some selected upland crops are diversified and are
grown throughout the year.

Diversification around Other Crops: In a multiple cropping system, farmers are cultivating two vegetable crops either
solely (one short and another long duration crop) or mixed/relay cropping. This has only been possible due to good
soil conditions, available irrigation facilities and adequate farmers' knowledge about the vegetable crops and marketing
facility etc., which led the farmers to follow crop diversification around other crops.

There are a lot of success stories in crop diversification in Bangladesh, from the CDP project as well as from the
ongoing GOB/UNDP/FAO project “Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification” (TCTTI), which are now
being replicated in 80 new Thanas using GOB resources and personnel.

To quote one example Md. Tajul Islam of Saganna village of Jhenaidah district is a literate farmer, he owns 5.5
hectares of cultivated land with a small family of 4 members. Farming is his full time occupation. His father was a
farmer and migrated to Jhenaidah from Munshigonj. Munshigonj is a famous place for growing banana, potato and
vegetables. Mr. Tajul occasionally visits his ancestral village in Munshigonj. Before adopting crop diversification, he
used to grow paddy, jute, mustard, sesamum, kaon, etc. After being motivated to grow CDP crops and ensured of
irrigation facilities, he now grows HYV Aman, wheat, Aus, banana, papaya, beans, tomato, brinjal, cauliflower,
cabbage, potato, chilies and potol etc., and became the pioneer in his village in the field of crop diversification. This
has enhanced his income significantly. Seeing this, other neighbouring farmers started practicing crop diversification in
his area.

4. CROP DIVERSIFICATION AS A STRATEGY (INSTRUMENT) FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY,

INCOME GROWTH, POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Malnutrition, in Bangladesh, is still an issue of national urgency with considerable damage to the health and survival of
the most vulnerable group i.e., children and women. Though food production has increased over the last few decades,
a downward trend in the intake of calories per person per day has resulted in widespread chronic dietary deficiency.
The consumption of food items other than the cereals is much less than the minimum requirements. Further, the
composition of the diet is not balanced as 85 percent of the calorie and 60 percent of the protein intake is derived
from cereals. The main reasons for such a situation are mainly the low diversification of crops, inadequate nutritional
knowledge, inequitable distribution of income, and low purchasing power. To address food and nutritional security, a
number of projects including TCTTI and CDP have been undertaken in the agriculture sector for increased production
of different food items through developing HYVs of cereal crops as well as of pulses, vegetables, fruits, etc. In doing
so, the nutritional aspects are given high priority to minimize the existing nutritional deficiency.

The introduction of CDP in the agriculture sector has had a positive effect on raising the production of potato,
oilseeds, pulses, fruits and vegetables in the CDP areas as compared with in non CDP areas. The CDP still continues
to play a very important role in the economy of the country. Presently, the agriculture sector contributes about 32
percent to the national GDP, nearly 62 percent to the national employment with 57 percent of the labour force in the
crop sector alone. It is still the single largest contributor to additional income and employment generation required to
reduce rural poverty and to attain sustainable economic development. The TCTTI project has ensured sustainable
intensification of rice production in Bangladesh and raised possibilities for expanding crop diversification in the
highlands and medium lands during the Rabi season.

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The area suitable for crop production is estimated to be a little over 9 million hectares. With the growth in population
and other infrastructure development, the cropped areas have been steadily declining. To ensure food and nutrition for
the ever increasing population, suitable cropping patterns were introduced based on the concept of crop diversification
depending on soils and other agro-climatic conditions, which raised cropping intensity to 185 percent in 1997 from 100
percent in 1979. As agricultural production is seed-fertilizer-water based, so more than 152 production technologies
for crops including varieties and management practices have so far been developed. Private traders/distributors were
given permission to have a direct access to the bulk purchase of chemical fertilizers as well as to import TSP and MP
fertilizers freely which has led to increased availability and wider adoption of chemical fertilizers at the farm level.
Irrigation water was ensured through removing the restriction on the imports of small diesel engines, withdrawal of
customs duty, and the abolition of tube-well siting restriction in non-surface irrigation areas, which led to a tangible
effect on the demand for irrigation equipment and the rate of increase in area under minor irrigation.

The strategy for sustaining agricultural growth is based on changing the nature of Bangladesh agriculture from a
relatively high risk monsoon based to lower risk irrigation based cropping system. Sustaining the growth of rice
production and emphasizing and stimulating crop diversification are the key strategies to be pursued in future. This will
come from rapid application and expansion of HYV seed-fertilizer-irrigation technology, relying more on competitive
markets for inputs delivery, stabilizing soil fertility etc. In order to combat environmental degradation due to pesticide
use and ensure effective pest management, the practice of integrated pest management (IPM) will continue to be
pursued. A capability is being developed to monitor changes in the environment, particularly of soils and surface and
ground water with a view to ensure sustainable agricultural development and environmental protection.

5. CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND PROSPECTS OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN THE COUNTRY

As Bangladesh is endowed with favourable climate and soils for the production of a variety of crops all the year round,
so ample opportunities exist for crop diversification, balancing major crop production with minor crop production.
Minor crop production has tremendous potential if seasonal fallow land is brought under irrigation with technology
packages given to the farmers. The per acre yield of minor crops can be increased by improving agronomic
management practices with the existing crop varieties. The main problems/constraints facing CDP relate to a variety
of factors. These are marketing problems, ineffective agriculture credit supply, lack of the right kind of technology and
low level of investment, non-availability of quality seed, shortage of draught power, lack of maintenance of soil fertility,
lack of irrigation coverage, and ineffective research-extension linkages.

Introduction of the Crop Diversification Programme in agriculture has created a golden opportunity to commercialize
the production by small holding farmers of those minor crop varieties which are highly profitable and remunerative and
which are import substituting and export-oriented through the establishment of community storage and easy
transportation facilities. This commercialization of CDP crops can help promote the establishment of joint-venture
enterprises in Bangladesh and around the world that will buy, process and export those labour intensive crops and
increase economic activity and the creation of employment opportunities at home and abroad. With the inauguration
of the Bangobandhu Multipurpose Bridge in June 1998, the agricultural hinterland of Northwest Bangladesh has been
connected to the rest of the country, thereby enabling a commercial angle to Bangladesh agriculture.

More than 20 crop varieties along with improved cultivation practices were so far developed for crop diversification.
Moreover, land use inventory capabilities were developed and transferred to the Soil Resource Development Institute
(SRDI) for on-going use and application. A significant numbers of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and NGO
officials were trained through 25 local events to enhance their management skills. Some GOB and PIU officials also
received foreign training on the administration and management of bilateral and multilateral development of the
projects. The ongoing TCTTI project is complementing these activities relating to skill empowerment training and
capacity building of farmers and DAE personnel.

Research on agriculture is given the priority thrust to support the increasing population with food, nutrients, clothing
and housing from the decreasing land resources. In order to carry out research on CDP crops, Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Institute (BARI) was given the top priority. BARI has so far developed and released 9 varieties of potato, 5
varieties of pulses, a number of varieties of wheat, 5 varieties of oilseeds, and several improved cultivation techniques
for vegetables. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), being the lead Government agency in the
dissemination of technologies to the farmers, is playing an active and vital role with the help of some concerned NGOs
to disseminate those extension messages to the farm families.

In order to succeed and bring positive changes towards the development of minor crops, the CDP has an opportunity
to get support from the following organizations:

i. Research - Research on CDP crops has been entrusted with BARI, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Bangladesh
Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), and Chittagong University (CU) also conducts research on those crops. So liaison
should be made with these institutions.
ii. Marketing - The Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) needs to be activated with the request to provide market
intelligence to facilitate growers with market information and intelligence in cities and rural areas. DAM will promote,
popularize and provide marketing support to growers through farming groups and organization
iii. NGOs - The involvement of efficient NGOs in association with DAE is likely to accelerate the promotion of CDP activities.
iv. BADC - The role of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is confined to the production of foundation
seeds of CDP crops in their own farms and certified seed through contract growers.

Infrastructure development and refurbishing of BARI facilities and equipment will provide an opportunity to contribute
greatly to maintaining the productivity of research on CDP crops.

6. GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND STRATEGIES FOR CROP DIVERSIFICATION

6.1 Fifth Five Year Plan Targets

Sustainability of high yield and environmental protection remain the principal concerns in recent years. Loss of soil
fertility followed by the unbalanced use of chemical fertilizers, lack of adequate quantity of water in some areas as well
as their appropriate conservation and management are the major factors causing divergence between potential and

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actual output of major agricultural commodities. Various studies indicate that the yield potential of the existing HYVs of
rice is more than 4 Mt/ha, whereas the average yield of most of the other varieties of rice is around 2 Mt/ha. Major
tasks during the Fifth Five Year Plan will be to address these issues. The specific objectives of the Plan will be to:

a) increase productivity and real income of farming families in rural areas on a sustainable basis through
sustainable intensification of rice production and situation-oriented crop diversification;

b) attain self-sufficiency in foodgrain production along with increased production of other nutritional crops;

c) encourage export of agricultural commodities, particularly vegetables and fruits keeping in view
domestic production and need;

d) promote adoption of modern agricultural practices in dry land, wetland and coastal areas;

e) ensure sustained agricultural growth through more efficient and balanced utilization of land, water and
other resources; and

f) encourage comparatively large farms to graduate into commercial farming.

Policies and Strategies: In order to achieve the objectives, the strategies/policies will be evolved and adopted to
bring about necessary technical change. The following will be the specific policies and strategies:

a) improvement of the quality of seeds of desirable growth duration which will fit into suitable crop
sequences, particularly HYVs and hybrid seeds, and increasing quantity;

b) development of modern, irrigated and least-risk agriculture with greater reliance on competitive markets
through supply of agricultural inputs at low cost, making public investment more effective and keeping it
limited to key areas as required to supplement private initiatives;

c) strengthening of the agricultural research and extension systems in order to develop new technologies
relating to crop varieties, integrated farming system, organic farming, improved agronomic and
agro-processing technologies, and for diffusion of the proven technologies;

d) development and dissemination of ecologically sound and sustainable technologies such as integrated
pest management (IPM) techniques, and organic and bio-fertilizer use;

e) increasing profitable production of minor crops and thereby maintaining a balanced crop production
and improving the nutritional status of the people;

f) development of suitable technologies in rain-fed, dry land and wetland farming system to enhance their
productivity;

g) restoration/improvement of soil fertility through better management of the organic matter of soil to
improve yields of crops; towards this end, production and use of bio-manure will be encouraged;

h) assistance to small and marginal farmers in forming groups and associations which can i) enhance
production and productivity, ii) sustain agro-business enterprises on their own, iii) absorb more credit
fund, and iv) adopt/disseminate technologies;

i) participation of NGOs in the agricultural development process;

j) improvement and conservation of plant genetic resources through collection and conservation of
germplasm;

k) facilitation of access to markets and promotion of efficient marketing system;

l) formulation of integrated land use policy conductive to optimum use of agricultural resources;

m) implementation of measures to cushion and minimize the damage to agriculture and rural economy
brought about by natural calamities;

n) development of capabilities of rural women and the youth to contribute more to agricultural and rural
development;

o) restructuring of the existing institutional setup to cope with the changed need;

p) development of human resources through education, training skill empowerment and motivation;

q) development and dissemination of appropriate location-specific and cost-reducing production and

post-harvest technologies for reduction of post-harvest losses and the removal of transport bottlenecks;
and

r) adoption of policies and regulations that will ensure sustainable agricultural development.

6.2 Major Areas of Public Sector Promotional Activities

The crop production strategy of Bangladesh will be based on the following central thrusts: a) increased distribution of
high quality HYV seeds by the public sector; b) accelerated transformation into irrigated agriculture to increase and
stabilize crop yields; c) sustainable intensification of the cropping systems; d) decreased dependence on draught
power through mechanization and bridging of the yield gaps in irrigated areas; e) improvement of productivity and
minimization of production risks in the rainfed, wetland, high land and coastal farming system; f) diversification of
farming systems to take advantage of favourable agro-ecological conditions; g) responding to changing consumer
demands and developing a more sustainable agricultural system; h) vertical coordination of the production, harvesting

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and marketing chain; and i) strengthening of extension, research and other support services.

With the adoption of technologically advantageous HYVs of rice and wheat, food production increased on the one
hand, but on the other hand, the decline in minor food crop production resulted in malnutrition causing considerable
damage to the health and survival of the most vulnerable group. In order to have a healthy nation for quick and
sustained economic growth, the government has taken up the Crop Diversification Programme for balancing major
crop production with minor crop production. The increased production and intake of minor crops has a tremendous
potential to alleviate nutritional deficiencies. Besides, crop rotation - exhaustive crops followed by recuperative crops,
shallow rooted crops by deep-rooted crops, legume followed by non-legume etc., enrich/maintain soil fertility. They are
also cheap sources of protein and calories. The poor farmer can cultivate these crops after harvesting the major
crops. Awareness building and enthusiasm have made the farmers believe that crop diversification is an effective
means to improve the performance of those crops that have potentials to improve the nutritional status of food and
soil fertility. Apart from their impact on CDP, the Government has taken the following strategies to reduce the
dependence on rice cultivation and also to realize the full potentials for agricultural growth in the country:

- The unexploited but potential areas for specific crops under CDP will be brought under cultivation, where
feasible and possible, with improved technologies in a phased manner.

- The promotion support programmes to commercial production will be encouraged to adopt those crops
or crop varieties which are highly profitable and remunerative and which are import substituting and
export-oriented.

- Farmers' location-specific, innovative technologies applicable to other similar areas will be transferred
and incorporated in specific crop production programmes.

- Research on CDP crops, particularly pulses, oilseeds and vegetables will be strengthened to produce
double cropped and double seasoned variety of pulses and oilseeds. This will help reduce importation of
oilseeds and pulses and save hard-earned foreign exchange, to a great extent.

7. CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of CDP in the agriculture sector has created an awareness among the farmers to grow and consume
a variety of crops like pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, spices, etc. Certain pulses such as chickpea, field pea,
mungbean and lentil produce reasonably good yields with better management including irrigation, fertilization and weed
control. The profit gained from these crops is higher than that of HYV rice and wheat. The farmers' awareness about
the production of vegetables in recent years is better than in the past because of the provision of promotional support
to produce more vegetables. The crops with moderately improved varieties are showing good response provided
improved varieties and cultural practices are adopted. The HYVs of crops like potato, tomato, beans, mustard,
sunflower, watermelon and banana are giving maximum yield when provided with irrigation, fertilization and better
management. The promotion programme is being extended to spices and some country vegetables and fruits that do
not have HYV, but do have high comparative profitability and incentives for the farmers. The stable and productive
land under Deep Tube Well (DTW) and Shallow Tube Well (STW) command areas are being used for minor crops
through creating awareness among the farmers.

As crop diversification is believed to be an effective means for improving the performance of agriculture in
Bangladesh, so the future directions are formulated based on the assumptions that: (a) there would be more
technological advancement of crop production, (b) more area would be brought under irrigation, (c) farmers would use
improved varieties and apply improved agronomic management practices, (d) there would be increased use of
fertilizer, (e) the IPM concept would be popularized among the farmers, (f) more crops would be grown to increase
cropping intensity, (g) flood control and drainage projects would result in more lands free from risk and facilitate crop
production, (h) there would be marketing improvement for internal and export demand, and (i) there would be more
selective small farm mechanization, particularly in land preparation and also in harvesting to release land quickly for
planting the next crops by reducing the turn-around time.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS

Considering the importance of crop diversification for increasing farmers' income and employment opportunities,
reducing production risk and improving soil fertility and human nutrition, the following recommendations are drawn:

· By continuous motivation and encouragement, the farmers would be made financially better off by
growing at least one CDP crop, vegetable and fruit crop which is much more labour intensive than rice
production directly involves women and can employ many more marginal farmers and landless as
labourers. The population could be better off, because its nutrition will be improved and the soil will benefit
because crop rotation is a proven management technique. So it is imperative to sustain crop
diversification.

· Efficient support services and institutions for credit, marketing, processing and packing should be
geared up to open the door for CDP crops.

· To encourage crop diversification, some prospective cropping patterns, improved practices and
irrigation management should be demonstrated at different locations.

· Further research should be undertaken for varietal improvement of high-value CDP crops and for
assessing the technical and economic feasibility of growing them under both irrigated and non-irrigated
conditions. As adjustments in growth duration become an obvious necessity, breeding crop varieties
which would fit into changed cropping sequences would become necessary for increasing the overall
production of the cropping system.

· In view of the predominantly small farmer holdings that are operating, whatever recommendations are
made should be specifically targeted to improve the production system of small farmer holdings, tenant
farmers and the marginal and landless category of the population.

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