Agricultural Input Assistance Card

Direct Input Subsidy Disbursement

This study focuses on cash subsidy support to the farmers by the government for increasing farm level production. Subsidy on agricultural inputs over the years is substantially increasing but it shows slightly declining trend in 2009-10 than that of the previous years. It was Tk.100 crore in 2001-02 and increased to Tk. 4950 crore in 2009-10 and it has reduced to Tk. 4000 crore (proposed) in 2010-11. Dry season rice farming requires huge cost of production (especially for human labor, fertilizer and irrigation). Per hectare cost of Boro rice production was Tk. 70095 for farmers’ farm and Tk.76175 for the research farm. There is no significant difference in cost of irrigation by diesel pump between the farmers’ farm (17.09 percent) and the research farm (17.55 percent). In this year, to make farmers benefited directly during Boro, subsidy on cost of diesel for irrigation has been given in cash through farmers’ account. Marginal (0.02-0.19 ha) and small (0.20-1.00 ha) farmers have got subsidy of Tk.800 and medium farmers (1.01-3.03 ha) got subsidy of Tk. 1000 only for diesel cost. Allocation of cash subsidy on diesel cost for Boro rice production is only 58.34-6.14 percent of the total cost of production for marginal farmers, 5.83-1.16 percent for small farmers and 1.44-0.48 percent for medium farmers on the basis of their cultivated land. Marginal farmers have enjoyed more advantages in terms of cash benefits (11.99 percent surplus) than small and medium farmers. Because the amount of subsidy given to small and medium farmers is very little compared to the amount he spent for irrigation. There is substantial gap between diesel costs and subsidy obtained (i.e. 72.91 percent for small farmers and 92.81 percent for medium farmers).

Agriculture and Food Security in South Asia

A Historical Analysis and A Long Run Perspective

This study has focused on the regional and national assessments of the potential effects of increasing population and changing climatic condition on food security in South Asian countries. The efforts have been put for the eight countries of South Asia. Probable population, food demand and production in future have been predicted with considering population growth rate, per capita consumption and the analysis of the last 47years data of agricultural production, land, population, etc. The targeted years are estimated assessing demand-production gap and identifying the food situations on those years. Vulnerability to climate change and its effects on production system on the targeted years are also estimated and consequently relationship between these impacts and food security are estimated. Based upon identifying the gap between demand and supply, the study attempts to suggest some policy recommendations for the further improvement to achieve sustainable agricultural production in South Asia.