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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Bangladesh (2350) Purulia, WB (1300)

Rainfall (and flood)

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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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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

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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.