Rural Enterprise DevelopmentMarket Infrastructure Development in Charland Region, LGED

IDE-Bangladesh

Region: BarisalType: Case StudySector: Vegetable ProductionBeneficiary: Lima Begum

Lima Begum, mother of four, was leading a difficult life. In the village of Charkalekhon Union, Lima and her husband Aynal Bepari were waging a daily war against poverty, and worked day and night to feed and clothe their four small children. Their only source of income was Aynal’s meager earnings from working as hired hand in the land of other farmers, and Lima stretched it as far as possible to run her family. In desperation, Lima suggested that he take lease of his neighbors’ farms with whatever money they had (the land that they possessed was too small to provide a sustainable means of income through agriculture) and start cultivating. But even that was not enough. Neither Lima nor her husband had any in-depth knowledge about farming. Irrigation was very difficult and they had to water the plants manually, by means of watering pots. This was time consuming and cumbersome, but they had very few options. Irrigation pumps were expensive, and often unavailable. They had no access to quality seeds, and had very little knowledge of combating pests and diseases. Consequently productivity was poor and with very little access to loan facilities, Lima and her husband were at wit’s end.

IDE-B, under the RED project, extended its support to Lima, seeing her keen interest in farming as a means of sustainable income source. Lima received a loan through Podokkhep, a partner NGO of MIDPCR. After this, she was given advice on cultivating high-value vegetables and cash crops in neighbors' farms. Under IDE-B’s guidance, she used the loaned amount to take lease of neighbor’s farms (for cultivation) and buy quality input materials such as seeds, pesticides etc. She and her husband started farming, both in their own land (around 20 decimal) and in others’ (around 160 decimal). The crops and vegetables included rice, chili, brinjal, papaya, tomato, pulses, banana, broad beans and gourd. She also started rearing poultry. She was invited to workshops and meetings of RED, and was provided linkage with Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), representatives of reputed seed company such as Lal Teer Seed Ltd., vegetable dealers and input sellers. She received a number of

training as well- social and special IGA training from Podokkhep, and vegetable cultivation training from DAE. The trainings were essential to Lima as a farmer: now she knows which crops have high productivity, which vegetables are in high demand in different seasons, the profit that can be quickly made by cultivating hybrid vegetables, and the necessity of using quality seeds and the right technology.

In a very short time, Lima Begum felt her life has turned around. Following her training period, Lima has seen radical changes: her cultivation costs have gone down, productivity has greatly increased and so has her earnings. Before, her monthly income was Tk 2500, with which she could barely make ends meet; now she earns around 5,500 taka per month. Her skills as a farmer has been greatly enhanced: she feels that she in charge of her own life. “I used to go the other farmers for advice on growing my crops, and in most cases did not get much help, since very few of us have the proper knowledge on farming. Now, people come to me, ”she says with a shy smile. Lima is able to judge market conditions for herself and decide what to cultivate during what time of the year for maximum profit. Today, Lima Begum is not just a successful farmer: she is an empowered decision-maker who now feels like a valued member of her community.