Raising Farmer Incomes through High-Value Crops

Bangladesh’s northwest region is among the poorest in the country, with over 60% of its population falling below the poverty line. Agriculture in the region could not keep farmers afloat despite the fact that all available lands were being cultivated and cropping intensity was already at 175%.

In 2000, the Asian Development Bank approved the Northwest Crop Diversification Project to improve the livelihood of small farmers in the region by providing them with credit and information on high-value crops and by improving their links to markets.

Roughly 200,000 farmers were informed of the merits and care of high-value crops, of which 33 were identified for project support. Along with this, $25 million in credit were channeled to some 180,000 farmers by nongovernment organizations involved in the project. Finally, the project improved market access roads and constructed covered sales, storage, and loading/unloading facilities. It also helped establish market groups to organize the sale and transport of goods locally as well as to Dhaka and other major cities. More than 10% of households in the project area were headed by women. The project ensured they were given access to training, information, and credit programs.

Through an integrative approach, the project successfully increased farmers’ incomes and empowered women in Bangladesh’s agricultural communities.