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Overview
Maize is one of Bangladesh’s few cash crops which have the potential to pull farmers out of poverty. Its price, demand, and supply are increasing worldwide, and suitable soil conditions, topography, and climate mean that Bangladesh has the opportunity to increase its maize cultivation area and yield per acre significantly. Although a successful maize crop requires high inputs, it also provides several advantages. Maize is more than two times as economical in terms of yield per unit of land as wheat or boro (dry season) rice.
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It also requires less water than boro rice and encounters fewer problems with pests and disease, and it can be grown during the winter (rabi) as well as in the summer (kharif) season.
In 2009-10, around 375,000 farmers and 93,000 laborers were involved in the production of approximately 1 million tonnes of maize. Maize is a labor-intensive crop employing approximately 60 person-days per acre every growing season, with women making up an overall 33% of the waged laborers involved. Huge potential lies in locations such as the chars and hill tracts of Bangladesh where most of the residents are marginal and small farmers.
The domestic demand for maize has been growing steadily over a decade or so, mainly from the poultry sector, where it is consumed as a feed ingredient. However, due to lack of local capacity, Bangladesh is forced to import (mainly from India and Myanmar) a considerable amount – around 31% of the total required – to fulfill this demand, and as the poultry sector continues to grow (by 15% annually), so does the demand for maize.
The major constraints impeding the sector’s growth are: a) Low productivity due to lack of access to cultivation know-how and inputs (including finance); b) Low quality of maize due to inadequate post-harvest facilities and c) High dependency on the poultry industry making it vulnerable to market shocks in that industry.
Strategy
Katalyst’s vision is to reduce the demand-supply gap of local maize by increasing sector competitiveness. There would be a particular focus on promoting maize production during the summer season, as there is limited scope for area expansion during winter when maize competes for land with rice, potato, vegetables. Katalyst intends to work towards more horizontal (area coverage) and vertical (productivity) expansion of maize cultivation in Bangladesh by implementing the strategies.
Intervention Areas
- Promoting maize-based cropping patterns
Katalyst promotes partnerships between input companies and the Department of Agriculture Extension to promote maize-based cropping patterns in locations with potential. Such long-term partnerships will ensure the sharing of resources among the public-private organisations in these areas, and increase farmers’ adoption of maize in their crop cycle.
- Improving access to quality inputs
This intervention area aims to increase access and use of quality seed (in the chars and the hill tracts) through seed companies. Hand-in-hand with this, the companies will inform farmers of best cultivation practices, enhancing potential for increased productivity.
- Expanding contract farming system
Maize requires a higher investment than many other crops, especially at the beginning of the season, and to tackle this constraint Katalyst promotes the contract farming system. This model enables farmers to link with traders who can provide them with know-how regarding maize production, access to larger buyers (the feed mills), and credit to buy inputs.
- Introducing technological innovation
Drying is a crucial step in maize production, as the quality of maize is determined by the moisture content in the grain. Growing maize during the summer season is problematical, as the harvest period usually then coincides with the rainy season. Katalyst intends to identify low-cost dryer models that would be feasible for traders and lead farmers to adopt, and which neighbouring farmers will have access to.
Co-Facilitator and Partners
Katalyst works through co-facilitator Winrock International, and together they partner with a range of private and public sector agencies, such as Charoen Pokphand (CP) Seeds Limited, Monsanto Limited, EON Agro, and the Department of Agricultural Extension.
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