Revolutionising agriculture: High production despite shrinking land

In the 1970s, Abdul Jalil's family, primarily led by his father Abdur Rahman, cultivated paddy in the Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur. Back then, their yield was modest, averaging five-six maunds of paddy per bigha. 

However, with the advent of the high-yielding BR-28 variety during the Boro season of 2022, their yield surged to approximately 24 maunds per bigha.

Abdul Jalil attributed this remarkable increase to the utilisation of quality seeds, fertilisers, efficient irrigation and enhanced agricultural practices. "Farmers who invested in government-endorsed seeds and adopted proper fertilisation and pest control techniques experienced even more significant boosts in production," said Jalil.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, this agricultural advancement owes much to scientific progress. Rice production, for instance, has skyrocketed from around 1 crore tonnes in 1972-73 to an impressive 3.90 crore tonnes presently. However, amidst this agricultural success story, there's a concerning trend of losing 10.48 lakh hectares of agricultural land between 1976 and 2021.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh's agricultural output has been pivotal in catering to the nutritional needs of its burgeoning population, now feeding approximately 17 crore people compared to 7 crore during its independence.

Senior officials overseeing agricultural research and extension attribute this exponential growth to increased access to agricultural inputs and the adoption of modern farming technologies.

Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Shahjahan Kabir told TBS, "Rice production has reached this stage today mainly due to the use of high-yielding varieties invented by scientists and the use of various types of modern agricultural technology. Where research is playing the leading role."

Researchers have also discovered varieties that yield 28-30 maunds of paddy per bigha and are now in the process of field expansion.

Though, in 1973, the international community predicted that Bangladesh would be a 'basket case' — that is, Bangladesh would not be able to turn around — rice production has increased three times in response to this prediction.

Agricultural extension officers say that agricultural production has reached a staple level even through extreme conditions as the agricultural land is decreasing due to the construction of new roads, houses and  factories.

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) wrote in its 2023 book "From Food Deficit to Surplus'' that the total agricultural land decreased by 10.48 lakh hectares in 45 years from post-independence period to 2021. Land has gone to the non-agricultural sector at a rate of 0.24 percent per year. Again, a report published by the Planning Commission in 2009 said that agricultural land was being converted to non-agricultural land at a rate of about 1 percent every year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the agricultural land currently stands at 88.29 lakh hectares (as of 2023).

According to the book published by BARC, the amount of land depletion has created a crisis as the ever-increasing population and their food supply have become challenging. Despite shrinking agricultural land, Bangladesh has been moving from food deficit towards surplus due to advancement of technologies and policy support of the government.

Director General of Agriculture Extension Department Badal Chandra Biswas told TBS, "We are confronting a situation where agricultural land is steadily diminishing due to industrialization and the construction of houses. Moreover, the population is continually growing. Despite these challenges, we have managed to spearhead a revolution in agricultural production."

According to researchers, the introduction of BR-3 by BIRI, alongside the groundbreaking varieties BR-28 and 29 in the mid-nineties, served as pivotal game-changers. 

Additionally, advancements in cultivation technology and the widespread availability of high-quality seeds, both through public and private sectors, coupled with adequate supplies of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and irrigation, have accelerated the surge in production.

Beyond rice, Bangladesh now boasts the capacity to meet the demand for vegetables and fruits year-round. Various initiatives have been launched, including the development of disease-resistant varieties across crops like pepper, dal, wheat, garlic, onion and tomato, aimed at prolonging lifespan, minimising post-harvest losses and enhancing shelf-life.

The commercialization of agriculture has fundamentally transformed the sector. Labour shortages and escalating costs have spurred increased mechanisation, with farmers adopting large-scale machinery like combine harvesters, reapers and threshers, alongside traditional tractors. This shift has not only reduced costs but has also bolstered disaster preparedness by ensuring efficient harvesting and distribution of agricultural produce.

Researchers attribute much of this progress to government policies, which have provided a conducive environment for agricultural development. The significant contribution of the private sector, facilitated by governmental support, is evident, with private entities supplying 90-95% of the required inputs, including seeds, for vegetable cultivation. Consequently, vegetable production in the country has surpassed two million tons.

Despite ongoing efforts, government spending on research for sustainable agricultural development remains suboptimal. 

BARC reports that in 2016, the government allocated over Tk6.5 billion for research, amounting to 0.38% of GDP, a stark contrast to the Tk112 crore invested in 1981. By comparison, Nepal and Sri Lanka allocated 0.42% and 0.62% of their GDP, respectively, to agricultural research during the same period. Developed countries allocate a much higher proportion, with BARC highlighting a 2.7% allocation of GDP for research in those nations.