Presentation at the APAARI-IFPRI AR4D synthesis meetingNew Delhi | 4 July 2012

PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL R&D IN BANGLADESH, INDIA, NEPALRecent trends in investments, human capacity, andinstitutional landscape

Nienke BeintemaASTI program head | International Food Policy Research Institute

75.3%

15.6%

9.1%

Nepal

85.9%

13.8%0.4%

Bangladesh

43.1%

56.9%

India

50.5% 49.2%Total

(3)

Government Higher education Nonprofit

0.3%

Institutional landscape

• Highly complex: government, higher education, nonprofit, private, and international research agencies

• A large degree of variation exists in terms of size (167 in India; 54 in Bangladesh; 8 in Nepal)

• All three countries have national agricultural research councils (ARCs) that coordinate agricultural R&D, but role and scope of authority differ

Public agricultural R&D spending and staffing 2009

PPP Shares Number SharesCountry dollars (%) (FTEs) (%)Bangladesh 126 5 2,081 15India 2,276 94 11,217 82Nepal 22 1 389 3Total 2,425 100 13,686 100

Total researchersTotal spending

020406080

100120140160

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Mill

ion

2005

PPP

dol

lars

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Mill

ion

2005

PPP

dol

lars

05

10152025303540

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008Mill

ion

2005

PPP

dol

lars

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

1996-2001 2001-2005 2005-2009

Ann

ual g

row

thra

te (%

) Bangladesh

Public agricultural R&D spending trends

India Nepal

India

Bangladesh Nepal

Public agricultural researcher trends

0300600900

1200150018002100

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Rese

arch

ers (

FTEs

)

0

3000

6000

9000

12000

15000

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Rese

arch

ers(

FTEs

)

0

90

180

270

360

450

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Rese

arch

ers (

FTEs

)

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

1996-2001 2001-2005 2005-2009

Ann

ual g

row

thra

te (%

) Bangladesh India NepalIndia

Bangladesh Nepal

Intensity ratio trends

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Publ

ic a

gric

ultu

ral R

&D

spen

ding

as

a %

of A

gGD

P

Bangladesh India Nepal

Degree qualifications of researchers* 2009

*Include staff holding official research positions

0

20

40

60

80

100

2003 2009 2003 2009 2003 2009

PhD MSc BSc

Shar

e of

FTE

rese

arch

ers

(%)

Bangladesh ICAR (India) Nepal

Age structure researchers 2009

Nepal

Commodity focus of researchers 2009

0

20

40

60

80

100

Bangladesh India Nepal

Crops Livestock Natural resources Fisheries Other

Shar

e of

FTE

rese

arch

ers(

%)

Focus of crop researchers 2009

*Excludes crop items with shares lower than 5%.

Country Major crop items

BangladeshRice (19%), fruits (12%), vegetables (9%), wheat (6%), potatoes (5%), sugarcane (5%)

India Rice (15%), fruits (9%), vegetables (6%), wheat (6%)

NepalVegetables (20%), rice (19%), wheat (12%), maize (9%), fruits (9%)

• Complex institutional structure hampers BARC’s coordinating role

• Volatile annual R&D spending levels

• Historic dependence on World Bank support for agricultural R&D

• Recent capacity erosion have left the country with a very large number of unfilled vacancies

• Imminent retirement of senior researchers as a result of an early (59 years) retirement age

• Very low proportion of female agricultural scientists

Main challenges/opportunities — Bangladesh

• Large R&D system with highly qualified staff

• Strong agricultural education system

• Rapidly increasing agricultural R&D spending levels

• NAIP has stimulated ongoing reform in agricultural R&D, involving research organizations, farmers, the private sector, and other stakeholders

• Weakening research capacity at SAUs and a fragmentation of SAUs along disciplinary lines

Main challenges/opportunities — India

• Lack of effective and efficient policy implementing bodies and instruments

• Rapidly aging pool of highly qualified scientists and numerous vacant positions at NARC

• Severe cut in donor funding resulting from unstable political situation led to increased government funding

• Relatively important role of nonprofit sector in conducting agricultural R&D

• Upcoming reforms at NARC as part of Strategic Vision for Agricultural Research (2011–2030)

Main challenges/opportunities — Nepal

THANK YOU