Dashmina Seed Multiplication Farm

Background:
Bangladesh is predominantly an agricultural country. Agriculture being the engine of growth of the economy, the country has no alternative but to develop agriculture sector for alleviation of poverty. Since provision of food security, improvement of the living standard and generation of employment opportunities of the huge population of the country are directly linked to the development of agriculture. There has been continued effort by the government for the overall development of this sector. To fulfill the food and nutritional demand of the growing population of the country, special emphasis has been given on building up a modern agricultural system based on appropriate technology. Keeping consistency with this, various reform measures have been taken which include ensuring the availability of agricultural inputs including fertilizer and quality seeds to the farmers. As part of the agricultural policy, the government has been steering a range of development projects/programmes in agriculture sector.

“The clear focus of the government is on the seed sector. While most of the improved seeds purchased by farmers are either produced by the private sector or imported, the Government intends to re-invest in increased public involvement in the production of basic seeds of food crops and develop partnerships with seed growers for community based seed multiplication. BADC would perform this role; it currently provides 20% of the improved cereal seeds and needs to increase its capacity, to produce basic seeds (from the research centres) and organize contracting with seed multipliers, seed cleaning, packaging and marketing. The Government has specific actions in mind including; developing a new seed farm on a well identified char in the south managed by BADC; and build BADC human capacities and develop the production of new varieties (stress resistant, hybrid seeds etc.) responding to new challenges” (Source: Country Investment Plan-CIP 2010).

To gradually shift the main HYV, irrigation-fed Boro rice production to the Southern areas and to utilize new salinity, submergence, and other Stress tolerant varieties and also to utilize abundant surface water for irrigation. To promote adoption of the modern agricultural practices in drought, submergence and saline prone areas (Source: Sixth Five Year plan).

The Government of Bangladesh (especially, Ministry of Agriculture) is committed to support agricultural development efforts in the south. The development of the coastal region started with the implementation of the Coastal Embankment. Flood embankments were raised with an intention to save agricultural land from salt water flooding and thereby to intensify rice production. Salt intrusion, sedimentation of rivers, and population pressure are the urgent issues to be tackled in parts of the region (south, south-west) for increasing food security.
The cropping intensity of the area is 160% whereas it is more than 300% in some parts of the North. The most widespread agricultural land use in the South consists of transplanted Aman rice, Aus rice, relatively small areas of integrated Boro rice, vegetables and other crops due to increased soil and water salinity. Aman rice productivity was found to be declined by 7%-20% in part of the coastal areas during last 10 years.
Factors needing attention are measures to intensify and diversify crop production by introducing new crop varieties – saline, submergence and stress tolerant (like BR 47, BINA-8, BINA 9, BR 51, BR 52 and other flood, drought and salinity tolerant varieties that are in the pipeline)- adapted to local environments.
In addition there is a need to develop appropriate seed preservation technology, and other useful agro-technology in order to mitigate the impacts of disaster and maintain continuity in rehabilitation programmes. (Source: Southern Delta Plan, Draft Master Plan July 2010).
Crop sub-sector plays an important role for a long term socio-economic development of the country. For development of the crop sector, availability of agricultural inputs including quality seeds will need to be ensured.
The demand of quality seeds particularly foundation seed are increasing rapidly. As a public sector, BADC is mandated to multiply all new varieties evolved from research station. At present, BADC is in a position which has not enough farm land to multiply all those new varieties in relation to the national demand. Besides this, shifting agriculture to South-Western region and multiplications of seeds of saline tolerant varieties of different crops are needed and this area also considered as a lagging region. For this region, farm of large area at the southern part of the country should be established. On the other hand a huge plain land is not available to establish a large farm in the main land. In the far south-western belt, there are a number of chars which khash lands are unutilized or under-utilized. This project will be implemented to bring a qualitative and quantitative change in the coastal belt which is severely affected by climate change.
Once upon a time, Barisal was called the ‘store house of food grain’ of the country. But at present, this scenario has been changed and it has become a deficit area. A large portion of land becomes uncultivated for climatic changes like flood, cyclone, increase of salinity, drought, submergence etc. As a result, soil of that area also becomes poor and decreases the productivity. In this situation, agriculture in that area is now unprofitable. The proposed project has undertaken a programme of multiplication, preservation and distribution of 11500 mt. of quality seeds of those varieties which are suitable for growing at south-western region of coastal area. When the farmers of that area will use the produced quality seeds of suitable varieties under this project, it will be possible to grow the crops in unutilized area which will help to produce additional food grain that will play the vital role to ensure the food security specifically for that area and as a whole for the nation. In this way, Barisal will regain the name of ‘store house of food grain’ Side by side scope of employment opportunity and per capita income will also be increased.
Cultivable lands of the project area inundates during the rainy season. As a result, only the low-lying lands can be cultivated during the dry season. On the other hand, the high land remains fallow during dry season due to non-availability of irrigation water. It is possible to undertake those lands within cultivation by proper utilization of saline free surface water. For ensuring the irrigation, installations of low lift pump and construction of embankment will be made for utilizing surface water and also deep tube well and shallow tube well will be installed under this project.
Floods and cyclones have become a common phenomenon in the coastal area. By making some embankments and adaptation of afforestation and vegetation through this project, natural disasters can be minimized in that area. So, it can be said that the proposed project will help to establish a new farm in char land, shift HYV irrigation fed Boro rice production and multiplication of saline, submergence and stress tolerance varieties adapted to local environments of Southern area. So, undoubtedly the proposed project will match the Country Inveestment Plan (CIP), Sixth Five Year Plan (SYFP), Southern Delta Plan (SDP) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In Bangladesh, there is 130.67 lakh hectares of land and the demand of agronomical seeds is 10,87,172 mt. In 2008-09, 90928 mt seeds are supplied which is 8.4% of the total demand of quality seeds. The supply of seeds by BADC is increasing every year to meet the growing demand and will meet up to 23% of the total national demand by the year 2020-21 which is around 2,45,300 mt of quality seeds. The rest of the demand for quality seeds will meet by the private sector including farmers.
There is a recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to establish seed multiplication farm in the south-western region.

Under this proposed project to fulfill the targets 3 seed multiplication farms will be set up at Dashmina Upazila in Patuakhali district, a seed processing centre (3000 mt. capacity) and one cold storage (2000 mt. capacity) will also be set up at Barisal sadar.

Objectives:
The main objectives of the project are to increase agricultural production both by horizontal and vertical expansion, create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty and up-lift the socio-economic condition of the people of the project area. The specific objectives are as follow:
1. To produce 11,500 mt. quality foundation seeds of rice, wheat, maize, potato, pulses and oils from breeder seeds;
2. To procure breeder seed of those crops from different research organizations;
3. To produce and increase crop seeds resilient to climate change especially salinity, drought, submergence etc;
4. To process, preserve and test seeds produced in the farms (11,500 mt);
5. To increase crop production through supply of quality seed suitable to those areas to increase house hold food security;
6. Human resources development through imparting training to the 750 nos farmers/NGOs/private sectors etc;