IMPACT OF IRRIGATION ON FOOD SECURITY IN BANGLADESH：AN EVIDENCE OF LAST THREE DECADES
Bangladesh has made impressive progress in agriculture sector in last three decades and has almost become sufficient in food grain production.This has been tremendous achievement as a small territory and huge population in Bangladesh and it made possible due to agricultural mechanization and modernization. Irrigation is the leading input for increasing yield and prOduction of food grains and plays vital role to ensuring food security in Bangladesh.The present studv examined the growth of irrigated area and its impact on food grain production during last three decades.Time series data were used for the study.Different statistical methods such as mean， percentage，linear and exponential growth model were applied for getting meaningful findings. Various technologies are being used for irrigating crops which contributed rapid expansmn of irrigated area.The conventional irrigation methods (Low Lift Pump，Dhone，Swing Basket， Treadle Pump etc.)were replaced by modem methods(i.e Deep Tube Well and Shallow Tube Well).In addition，surface water irrigation also sharply declined and losing its importance due to lack of new surface irrigation project and the ineffectiveness of previous one.Groundwater covered 75 percent of irrigated area and majority (60％)extraction occurred through Shallow Tube Wells (STWs).The rapid expansion of ground water irrigation in respect of STWs irrigation happened due to withdrawing government restriction on tube well setting rule，encouraging private sector and cost effectiveness of Chinese engine which might affordable to the small and medium farmers.Thereafter，irrigated area increased by about three times and croppmg intensity also increased from 154 to 177 percent.Bore rice is an irrigated crop consumed 73 percent of total crop irrigation and contributed greater extent in total rice production in Bangladesh.Bere rice along contributed 55 percent of total food grain and per unit production also highest(3.44 MT per hectare)compare to aus(1.66 MT per hectare)and aman (1.99 MT per hectare)rice.Again， coverage of boro rice cultivated area also increased by 1168 to 4068 thousand hectares.The higher productivity of bore rice is helping nation being closer to her food requirements(25 Million MT). BDro rice production was highly correlated(r=.957) with irrigated area.Expansion one hectare of irrigated area added 3.22 MT of boro rice in Bangladesh.Finally，the study suggested for expanding irrigated area as development of ground and surface water with modern technologies and also recommended to formulate farmers’friendly policy.
Irrigation Food Security Bore rice and food grain production
Wakilur Rahmam Lovely Parvin
Department of Rural Sociology,Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202 College of Economics and Management,Northwest A&F University,P.R China
国际会议
High-level International Forum on Water Resources and Hydropower(第一届国际水利水电高层论坛)
北京
英文
348-357
2008-10-17（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）