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Overview
Irrigation is an integral part of crop production and as a result of climate change and the need to produce high yield varieties for food security, its significance to agriculture has increased in recent years. In Bangladesh, the cost of irrigation can be as high as 40% of a farmer’s total production costs, and lack of timely irrigation leads to a 37% average decrease in yields of rice, maize, potato and vegetables. Conversely, efficient irrigation can increase both the productivity and profitability of these and other crops. |
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The demand for irrigation has thus, over the years, increased exponentially. Irrigation pumps are produced locally in Bangladesh, but the engines or motors to drive them are imported. During the last few years, the pump market (including shallow tube well pumps) has experienced a 15-20% growth. Nevertheless, approximately 30% of the cultivated land of Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Thakurgaon and Chapainababganj districts do not have access to irrigation facilities, and where they are available, an efficient water management system is not in place. For example, in northern Bangladesh, the boro rice farmers use three to five thousand liters of water to produce one kilogram of paddy, while the actual requirement is only about 1.5 thousand liters. This over-usage of water not only impacts negatively on the environment by depleting water levels, but also increases farmers’ production costs and thus decreases their net income.
A joint assessment of the irrigation sector conducted by Katalyst and International Development Enterprise- Bangladesh showed that the major constraints hindering the growth of the irrigation sector area) Lack of knowledge of farmers on crop-specific water management system; b) Lack of knowledge and skills of different service providers and c) Unavailability of efficient low-cost irrigation devices.
Strategy
Katalyst aims to develop sustainable mechanisms to a) increase availability and access to more cost-effective water-efficient irrigation facilities and information/services for the farmers, particularly in rice, maize, potato and vegetables and b) improve access to irrigation facilities for small farmers in the non-irrigated areas.
Intervention Areas
- Improving efficiency to minimize irrigation water conveyance loss and to disseminate crop-specific water management knowledge
In this intervention area, Katalyst partners with both the public and private sectors. Katalyst works with a) the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) to train water sellers in the use, management and demonstration of an efficient, low-cost water conveyance system; b) seed companies, to incorporate crop-specific irrigation information in their promotional tools and c) a large-scale pipe manufacturing company to promote and supply Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technology to rice farmers.
- Improving access to and promoting efficient, low-cost and smaller irrigation devices in the project areas
A major impediment to small farmers wanting to enter high value agriculture is the lack of timely access to the water needed for their crops. Both small and medium famers need smaller and more efficient water equipment, such as manual pumps, smaller horse power (hp) pumps and small electric pumps. Katalyst has carried out an assessment to investigate market demand, supply opportunities, constraints, and related policy issues of 2hp engines. the results will be shared with relevant public (Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute(BARI), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Ministry of Agriculture(MoA)) and private stakeholders (importers).
- Developing knowledge and skills of service providers in the proper repairing,
maintenance and installation of engines, motors and pumps
Service providers such as mechanics and installers often lack the appropriate skills to properly repair, maintain and install irrigation equipment, compromising the efficiency of the pumps. Katalyst partnered with private companies to improve the skills of installers and local engine and motor mechanics.
- Increasing skills of pump manufacturers to produce quality pumps
Lack of necessary skills of the manufacturers to produce efficient irrigation pumps results in increased production cost for farmers, as they have to incur extra maintenance and fuel cost. To overcome this problem Katalyst facilitated Bangladesh Agro Machinery Merchants Association (BAMMA) and Bangladesh Industrial and Technical Assessment Centre (BITAC) to organize skill development training for fifteen centrifugal pump manufacturers in Bogra. Katalyst is now following up the linkage building between these two organizations to ensure further technical support for BAMMA members in the future.
Co-Facilitator and Partners
Katalyst works in the irrigation cross sector through its co-facilitator International Development Enterprises Bangladesh, with key market players: DAE, Lal Teer Seeds, Supreme Seeds, CP Bangladesh, Auto Equipment, Ejab Group, ACI, BITAC, HATIM Ltd. BAMMA and local pump manufacturers.
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