rural livelihoods in eastern india and bangladesh anton immink aquaculture and fish genetics...
TRANSCRIPT
Rural livelihoods in eastern India and Bangladesh
Anton ImminkAquaculture and Fish Genetics Research Programme DFID
Institute of Aquaculture
University of Stirling
Contents
• Overview of the region
• Eastern India– traditional farming system
• Bangladesh– regional variation– traditional farming system
• Concluding comments
• Slide show
Overview of the region
Facts and figures India• total land area: 1,269,339 sq miles (10% water)
• arable land: 54%
• population: 1,045,845,226
• agriculture: 25% of GDP
• labour force: agriculture 60%• rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle,
water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
• textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software
West Bengal
area: 34,363 sqm
pop: 68 million
Key Agricultural Production-India, 2001
• Sugar Cane 286,000,000• Rice 131,900,000• Forage 91,000,000• Milk 83,970,000• Wheat 68,458,000• Vegetables 58,000,000• Fruit 47,240,000• Potatoes 25,000,000• Pulses 18,171,000• Bananas (x) 16,000,000• Maize 11,836,000• Mangoes (x) 11,500,000• Millet 9,505,000• Coconuts 9,000,000• Fish 5,820,683• Meat 4,917,270• Tea 855,000
(x) = included in ‘fruit’ total, but important individually
Facts and figures Bangladesh• total land area: 55,598 sq miles (8% water)
• arable land: 61%
• population: 133,376,684
• agriculture: 30% of GDP
• labour force: agriculture 63%
• rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry
• cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertiliser, light engineering, sugar
Key Agricultural Production-Bangladesh
2001
• Rice, Paddy 39,112,000• Sugar Cane 6,742,000• Potatoes 2,933,000• Milk 2,112,010• Wheat 2,000,000• Fish 1,760,772• Vegetables 1,456,000• Fruit 1,357,000• Jute 821,000• Bananas (x) 572,000• Meat 427,850• Sweet Potatoes 378,000• Pulses 349,000• Rapeseed 260,000• Pumpkins, Squash (y) 198,000• Mangoes (x) 187,000• Eggs 159,000• Tea 52,000
(x) = included in ‘fruit’ total, but important individually
(y) = included in ‘vegetables’ total, but important individually
Eastern area relief map
Soils, rivers, floods
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600
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
mm
Bangladesh (2350) Purulia, WB (1300)
Rainfall (and flood)
UK (600) per annum
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
mm
Bangladesh (2350) Purulia, WB (1300)
Farming system - eastern India
• Poor, upland soils in plateau area
• Small farm area, on average 2 acres
• No mechanisation, cattle and human power
• Seasonal reliance on nature
• Usually just one crop of rice (July-November). Second crop possibly wheat
• Vegetables close to towns/cities where water permits from tubewells by hand
Livelihood activities by gender
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50
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300
Ric
e
Oth
er
gra
ins
Ve
ge
tab
les
Oth
er
cro
ps
Liv
est
ock
fish
cultu
re
fish
cap
ture
hous
eho
ld
lab
our
ga
the
ring
(w
oo
d, c
ow
dun
g,
lea
ves)
soci
al
To
tal s
core
Total male
Total female
Livelihood activities
Farming systems - Bangladesh
• Rich, alluvial, flood plain soils (mostly)
• Small farm area, on average 2 acres
• Some mechanisation
• Highly adapted farming system, integrated
• Usually two rice crops (July-Nov, Dec-May). Second crop may be irrigated
• Vegetables close to towns/cities where water permits from tubewells by pump
• Very high population density (labour, market)
Livelihood activities - by wealth
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
tota
l sco
re
Better-off Poorer
DifferencesUpland Eastern India• Upland, poor, free
draining• mud, with tiles • No mechanisation• one crop• wheat, vegetables• limited (seasonal)
• forest and fish
Bangladesh• Floodplain, rich, good
water-holding• bamboo or tin • pumps and cultivators• two crops• sugar cane, jute, veg• widespread, developed
• fish only (very reliant)
land
housetoolsrice
cropsaquacu-lture
wild
Similarities• Rice-based farming systems, above all else
• Fish - significant cultural and dietary importance
• Arts - Bengalis known to be the most intellectual and artistic culture in the Subcontinent (life’s easy)
• Poverty - labourers earn less than £1/day
• Climatic extremes (wettest and driest)
RICE
Farming
Cattle
Transport
Ploughs
TEA
Aquatic animals
Culture
This work was supported by the Aquaculture and Fish Genetics Research Programme (DFID/Stirling University). In partnership with: India - Gramin Vikas Trust; Bangladesh - Intermediate Technology Development Group.
http://www.dfid.stir.ac.uk/afgrp
Thank you for your time.