Bringing the unnoticed to policy attention
NATIONAL Budget is at our doorstep, to be announced on June 6, 2013. Ahead of the 2013-2014 national budget, Channel i's agricultural documentary, Hridoye Mati O Manush submitted 58-point recommendations, in favour of farmers, to the Finance Minister Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith. Like every year, field-level crises and demands of farmers were documented this year. The proposals or recommendations were written as per the field-level thoughts. Initiative had been taken to send the recommendations to the government on May 13, 2013.
Since 2005, we visited 35 regions around Bangladesh before the final announcement of the national budget. During these field sessions, we met more than 200 thousand farmers who gave their valuable opinions and kept submitting the proposals to the ministry of finance, prior to budget document preparations.
The honourable finance minister himself wants to read the rural lips which will be very useful in allocating for the farming sector—whether the existing allocations are in use or on how government can fix the problems. At the beginning, it was all about surveys on farmers' crises and demands, held this year in five districts (Rangpur, Natore, Munshiganj, Shariatpur and Tangail), organised by Hridoye Mati O Manush's one of the leading initiatives, 'Krishi Budget Krishoker Budget' (Farmers' Voices in Budget/FVB).
The minister said government tried its level best with the agricultural extension. Those who are involved with this department are well trained and there is no training deficit. "The service depends on the agent himself—in some regions, they are doing wonderful, somewhere somewhat fine, and some places, worse," said the finance minister. Government has already started crop insurance in some regions on pilot basis. Sadharan Bima is piloting one project. Sadharan Bima is now consulting with Life Insurance of India where India has a comprehensive crop insurance system and Sadharan Bima is trying to learn from them.
It's true that success isn't everywhere, but they have been trying. He said that having insurance on fish, salt and poultry won't be that difficult to provide. By this year, TAX Holiday will be ending. The livestock ministry recommended its extension until the year 2020, FBCCI recommended until the year 2025. And the government would extend it until the year 2015. This year, the agricultural subsidy amount will be Tk. 9,000 crore and this year there will be no arrears. Government has to give a Tk. 300 crore backlog. Subsidy is not really subsidy in the farming sector.
It is actually like an investment for the farming sector—that's what I firmly believe.
There are some key concerns which I would like to highlight. Bangladesh should be heading towards a sustainable farming sector and that is why the government needs to adopt a national action plan on food security. To materialise this, we need to have proper infrastructural facility along with frequent investment to boost up the sector and definitely the small farmers.
Private sector is reluctant on helping the sector. They should be keener towards the sector with an international outlook on the promises the sector has. Government has an infrastructure of preserving 1.5 million tons of rice. With a recent WB funding the storage facility is going to increase another 0.4 million tons, and finally the total storage capacity would stand at a total of 1.9 million which is never enough for a country that is handsomely producing 35 million tons of food grain.
We need to be very cautious about this very alarming issue. More alarming is the fact that farmers are gradually stepping out of doing paddies and mainstream crops since they are not getting a fair price for their produce. They don't have a secure place in the market and most of their crops are remaining unsold.
On the other hand, as a solution, they are going for high value crops and producing rice for their own. This is where government has a key role to play. Government should have to subsidise the farmers more so that they stay with growing paddies and also do their own high value production. If farmers keep on moving out of growing rice, Bangladesh will be facing a great food shock in less than a decade and that's what I am really worried about.
Land loss is a major problem with Bangladesh for a long time. Every year, we are losing lands at 1% rate. This is certainly threatening news for Bangladesh. There should be a zoning agriculture system where farmers should be given better technology (seed) so that they can grow fifty maunds from one bigha, otherwise things will become worse.
It's true, however, that throughout all these 42 years of independence, with proper irrigation, varied assistance from BADC and DAE has ensured Bangladesh as an almost food sufficient country. If we cannot hold the diversification process in the production chain along with the value addition, we will lose what we have achieved.
That is why we need phase-wise action so that whoever comes next to power may be able to follow the footsteps of the previous government and may well be able to own the working process. I am talking about a five year plan not an overall developmental process. We need to start gradually to conquer the most.
During the last seven years or so, the charlands (alluvial lands) have awakened. Once the charlands were home to poverty but now most of them have now become agriculturally enriched. The charlands of Padma, Jamuna and Brahmaputra rivers are becoming greener with crops. Located in 230 river basins, the charlands have an area of around 1,722 square kilometres. These depressing lands have now become lands full of prospect. If we can solve some of their problems, Bangladesh would definitely meet a new horizon.
This year's Farmers' Voices in Budget (FVB) sessions chiefly focused on the stories of charlands and the finance minister assured that the budget would have good news for the charland inhabitants along with TAX holiday extended until the year 2015. The subsidy in the sector has to go on and I really believe farmers need more of it as I was referring to the threat that many of them are actually leaving paddy cultivation due to unfair price and poor preservation.
Government is solely responsible for not being able to motivate the industry entrepreneurs, civil society, educated youth and other key players of the nation. Bangladesh is enjoying its optimistic economic growth every year and employment generation has been superb. However, we can't just feel the bundle of energy that is flowing through the nation. We need to build this creative people as strong workforce which would sincerely and effectively move up the ladder towards higher GDP.
We however, in reality, need the government to introduce GNH (Gross National Happiness). The assessment of gross national happiness was designed in an attempt to define an indicator that measures quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than only the economic indicator of gross domestic product (GDP). The term "gross national happiness" was coined in 1972 by Bhutan's fourth Dragon King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. If they can look at things differently, why can't we?
Through Hridoye Mati O Manush's initiative, Krishi Budget Krishoker Budget (Farmers' Voices in Budget) farmers' voices were raised. They could bring up the realities in front of the policymakers. And, we were able to send their stories to the government. Farmers of the country and we are as well waiting keenly for the upcoming national budget. What share will the farming sector have in respect of allocation, planning and policy guidelines? We will definitely focus on the results of the budget after it is announced.
The writer is Director and Head of News, Channel i.
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