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Rural livelihoods in eastern India and Bangladesh

Rural livelihoods in eastern India and Bangladesh. Anton Immink Aquaculture 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

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Rural livelihoods in eastern India and Bangladesh

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  1. Rural livelihoods in eastern India and Bangladesh Anton Immink Aquaculture and Fish Genetics Research Programme DFID Institute of Aquaculture University of Stirling

  2. Contents • Overview of the region • Eastern India • traditional farming system • Bangladesh • regional variation • traditional farming system • Concluding comments • Slide show

  3. Overview of the region

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. Eastern area relief map Soils, rivers, floods

  9. Rainfall (and flood) UK (600) per annum

  10. 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

  11. Livelihood activities

  12. 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)

  13. Livelihood activities - by wealth Better-off Poorer

  14. Upland 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) Differences land house tools rice crops aquacu-lture wild

  15. 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) Similarities

  16. RICE

  17. Farming

  18. Cattle

  19. Transport

  20. Ploughs

  21. TEA

  22. Aquatic animals

  23. Culture

  24. 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.

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