Papers by Humnath Bhandari (CO-BD)
Deleted Journal, Jun 19, 2024
The adoption of high-yielding agricultural technologies remains a promising strategy for achievin... more The adoption of high-yielding agricultural technologies remains a promising strategy for achieving food security and poverty reduction in developing countries. With the innovation of green technology like seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation water, the productivity of land has increased significantly in Asian countries like Bangladesh. The high-yielding varieties of rice generate a yield gain of 15-20% over the conventional bred varieties in general. Yet, despite strenuous government efforts, farmers' adoption rates have remained low in Bangladesh compared to other Asian countries like India, China and Vietnam. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the factors influencing the adoption of modern rice varieties in some selected areas of the Mymensingh district in Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 510 smallholder Boro rice farmers, and the collected data was analyzed using descriptive and Tobit regression analysis. The Tobit regression model was used to determine factors affecting the adoption intensity of modern rice varieties in the Boro season. The results of the descriptive analysis demonstrated that most respondents are between the ages of 31 and 39 and that younger farmers are adopting technology at a faster rate than their older counterparts. Tobit model results revealed that factors such as educational levels, farm size, extension contract, training, taste, yield capacity, credit access, seed access, and farmer-based organization membership significantly influence the adoption of modern rice cultivars in Mymensingh. However, factors like farmer age, distance from the extension office, and NPK fertilizer deficiency were found to be negative. Therefore, addressing these factors could facilitate the wider adoption of modern rice cultivars, enhancing productivity and sustainability in the region. These findings
Global Food Security, Jun 1, 2022
Total foodgrain production in Bangladesh is 32.9 million tonne of which boro rice is 18.78 millio... more Total foodgrain production in Bangladesh is 32.9 million tonne of which boro rice is 18.78 million tonne. Rice is produced by using groundwater (80%). This study is to determine price and payment choice of irrigation application. Ninety six villages were selected from five divisions following multi-stage sampling. The Cobb-Douglas functional form and probit model estimate the factors of price and payment method for irrigation based on the nature of the dataset. The major determinants of water price in groundwater markets were irrigation payment system, density of tubewells, the number of water buyers, amount of remittance per household, lowland area, and fuel price. The imputed water price was the highest in crop share and this was the lowest in fixed payment system. The fixed charge system is less viable because sellers may refuse water supply at peak season, higher price of diesel, erratic electricity supply, unfriendly relation between buyers and sellers, and limited cash flow of water sellers to buy fuel. Through market-based mechanism, fixed machine charge system minimizes irrigation water use and thereby benefits water buyers, sellers, and the society at large.
Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference, 2019
... Title Rice production in Cambodia: will exports continue to grow? Authors Sushil Pandey; Humn... more ... Title Rice production in Cambodia: will exports continue to grow? Authors Sushil Pandey; HumnathBhandari Editor Dawe, D. Book The rice crisis: markets, policies and food security 2010 pp. 233-252 ISBN 978-1-84971-134-0 Record Number 20113005546. Abstract. ...
2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C., Jun 20, 2018
This study examines the adoption of submergence-tolerant (Sub1) rice varieties (BRRI dhan51, BRRI... more This study examines the adoption of submergence-tolerant (Sub1) rice varieties (BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BINA Dhan 11, and BINA Dhan 12), grown in the Aman season (July-November) in northwest Bangladesh, using data obtained from more than 1,100 farm households. The impacts of these varietal adoptions on profit from rice production and household consumption expenditure are also examined. Employing the endogenous switching regression model, this paper finds that the predicted probability of adopting Sub1 varieties is about 0.40, implying that 40% of the sampled farm households in northwest Bangladesh adopted Sub1 rice varieties. The main drivers of Sub1 adoption decisions are education, access to information, cropped area, migration, and access to electricity. This paper also finds that Sub1 rice varieties had a significant positive impact on adopters' farm profit and consumption expenditure compared with those of non-adopters. Therefore, we suggest implementing policies and developing institutional capacity that help increase the dissemination of Sub1 seeds and incentivize farmers to adopt Sub1 varieties in flood-prone areas in Bangladesh.
Asian journal of social science, 2009
Social capital is an old concept but it entered into academic and policy debates only in 1990s. I... more Social capital is an old concept but it entered into academic and policy debates only in 1990s. Its importance in explaining economic and social phenomena have been increasingly felt in recent years. Literature on theoretical and empirical aspects of social capital grew signifi cantly during last decade. Th e whole notion of social capital is centred on social relationships and its major elements include social networks, civic engagement, norms of reciprocity, and generalised trust. Broadly speaking, it is defi ned as a collective asset in the form of shared norms, values, beliefs, trust, networks, social relations, and institutions that facilitate cooperation and collective action for mutual benefi ts. It is a complex multidimensional concept having diff erent dimensions, types, and levels of measurement. Common types of social capital include: structure and cognitive; bonding, bridging, and linking; strong and weak; and horizontal and vertical. It can be measured and analysed at individual-and collective-levels in terms of social perspective and micro-, meso-and macro-levels in terms of geographic perspective. Th e properties of social capital, such as capacity to appear in as an explanatory variable in the production function, accumulation over time, capability of improving economic performance, investment with expected future returns, convertibility, and the need of maintenance, make it qualify as a form of capital, though there are some criticisms about the use of term 'capital' in social capital. Research on social capital remains in its initial stage and the concept is still elusive, prone to contextual defi nition, defi cient in common measurement indicators, inability to explicitly quantify eff ects, and subject to various criticisms. Conceptual and measurement imprecision has led the concept prone to vague interpretation, less empirical application, and underestimation of its value. More empirical studies and testing of the concept on the ground is needed to develop a commonly accepted defi nition and measurement indicators that can explicitly disentangle and quantify its eff ects on overall development processes. Better conceptualisation and operationalisation of social capital theory is helpful to attract more investment on its development, design appropriate social policies, and promote sustainable development.
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Apr 1, 2006
Knowex food and agriculture, Jul 7, 2021
Quantifying knowledge on agriculture can have many benefits to stakeholders. While many knowledge... more Quantifying knowledge on agriculture can have many benefits to stakeholders. While many knowledge-based systems exist in modern days for farmers' decision support, specific models are lacking on how knowledge traits can impact on agricultural production systems. This study employed modelling technique, supported by field data, to provide a clear understanding and quantifying how knowledge management in production practices can contribute to rice productivity in the environmentally stressed southwest Bangladesh. This research accounted for 'Boro' rice as the target crop and 'BRRI dhan28' as the test variety. The 'B-M Model' was developed following the principle and procedure from published literature, 'brainstorming' and data from field surveys. Three knowledge management traits (KMT) were defined and quantified as the inputs of the model. Those are: self-experience and observation (SEO), extension advisory services (EAS) and accessed information sources (AIS). The yield influencing process (YIP), the intermediate state variable of the model, was deduced by accounting for the two dominant agronomic practices, seedling age for transplanting and triple superphosphate (TSP) application. 'Knowledge drives farmers' practice change which in turn influences yield' was composed as the theoretical framework of the 'B-M Model'. The model performed strongly against an independently collected field data set. Across the 180 farmers' data, the average relative rice yield (RRY) predicted by the model (0.705) and observed in the field (0.716) was close (root mean squared deviation (RMSD) = 0.018). The difference between predicted and observed RRY was not statistically different (LSD = 0.03), indicating the model fully captured the field data. A regression of predicted and observed RRY explained 96% variance in observation, further proving the model's strength in estimating RRY in a wider range of farmers' rice yield. In a normative analysis, the practicality and usefulness of the model to stakeholders were simulated for the understanding of how much achievable yield could be expected by changing farmers' knowledge pool (the sum of three KMT) on rice production practices, and at what combination(s) of KMT to be considered at strategic hierarchy to materialize a targeted achievable yield. To the best of the knowledge, a model quantifying rice yield in relation to knowledge management trait does not exist in literature. Upon successful testing under diverse yield scenarios using multiple and sophisticated statistical tools that enhanced the credibility of the model, it is concluded that the model has the potential to be used for identifying quantitative pathways of farmers' knowledge acquisition for practice change leading to improved productivity of rice in the southwest region of Bangladesh.
Elsevier eBooks, 2017
Abstract The Indian rice sector is transforming in tandem with rapid social and economic changes.... more Abstract The Indian rice sector is transforming in tandem with rapid social and economic changes. This chapter examines the ongoing structural transformation in India’s rice economy and draws conclusions to enable the development of a vibrant and sustainable rice value chain. The analysis is based on a descriptive analysis of secondary data and a literature review. The key socioeconomic changes affecting India’s rice sector include population growth, income growth, urbanization, changing diets, land and water scarcity, labor crisis, rising production costs, aging farmers, lack of access to improved technologies and services, and globalization. The key transformative changes affecting India’s rice sector include a shift in focus from subsistence to commercial farming, from on-farm production to a value chain approach, and from quantity to quality. Other transformative changes include varietal improvement, mechanization, the use of ICT, access to credit, improved milling, improved packaging and branding, firm-farm contract farming, horizontal and vertical integration, and increased participation of modern food retailers in marketing. Rice demand and supply analysis showed that domestic rice supply will exceed demand in the next 15 years, but total factor productivity growth is required for India to remain the leader in the world rice export market. A relatively small farm size, low mechanization and irrigation, high production cost, low yield, and higher prices have made Indian rice production less competitive in the world market. The Indian rice sector is transforming in the right direction, but the pace is slow. The following strategies are recommended for the development of a vibrant and internationally competitive Indian rice sector: increased productivity and profitability, promotion of basmati and nonbasmati rice production in targeted areas, investment in value addition and marketing, strengthening of horizontal and vertical integration, and implementation of favorable policies that increase exports.
Outlook on Agriculture, Apr 24, 2018
We examine the depth and breadth of ongoing demographic transformation in Asia and draw ramificat... more We examine the depth and breadth of ongoing demographic transformation in Asia and draw ramifications on future rice farming using long-run time-series data from 17 major rice-growing countries in Asia. We found that Asia is undergoing declining trends in women fertility, child mortality, family size, population growth, the proportion of the agricultural population, and involvement of youth in agriculture. On the other hand, rural out-migration, aging of the farming population, and urbanization show increasing trends. These emerging trends will have far-reaching impacts on future rice farming mediated through labor market, rice market, rice demand, and rice supply. Policymakers and scientists must anticipate more rapid demographic transformation in the future and implement necessary technological, institutional, policy, and strategic solutions to manage or cope with future demographic transformation.
Drought is a major constraint affecting rice production especially in rainfed areas of Asia. Desp... more Drought is a major constraint affecting rice production especially in rainfed areas of Asia. Despite its importance in rice growing areas, the magnitude of economic losses arising from drought, its impact on farm households and farmers' drought coping mechanisms are poorly understood. This paper provides insights into these aspects of drought based on a crosscountry comparative analysis of rainfed rice growing areas in China, India and Thailand. The economic cost of drought is found to be substantially higher in eastern India than in the other two countries. Higher probability and greater spatial covariance of drought and less diversified farming systems with rice accounting for a large r share of household income are likely to be the main reasons for this higher cost of drought in eastern India. Farmers deploy various coping mechanisms but such mechanisms are largely unable to prevent a reduction in income and consumption, especially in eastern India. As a result, welfare consequences on poor farmers are substantial with a large number of people falling back into poverty during drought years. The overall implications for technology design and for policy improvements for drought mitigation and drought relief are discussed in the light of the empirical findings of the study.
... College, Laguna 4031. Contact: Ms Annie EVANGELISTA. Tel: +63049 5362235. ... Related AGRIS R... more ... College, Laguna 4031. Contact: Ms Annie EVANGELISTA. Tel: +63049 5362235. ... Related AGRIS Results: -, Drought risk, farmers' coping mechanisms, and poverty: a study of the rainfed system in eastern India by Pandey, S.; Behura, D.; Villano, R. and Naik, D. (2001) in English. ...
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2006
Drought is a major constraint affecting rice production especially in rainfed areas of Asia. Desp... more Drought is a major constraint affecting rice production especially in rainfed areas of Asia. Despite its importance in rice growing areas, the magnitude of economic losses arising from drought, its impact on farm households and farmers' drought coping mechanisms are poorly understood. This paper provides insights into these aspects of drought based on a crosscountry comparative analysis of rainfed rice growing areas in China, India and Thailand. The economic cost of drought is found to be substantially higher in eastern India than in the other two countries. Higher probability and greater spatial covariance of drought and less diversified farming systems with rice accounting for a large r share of household income are likely to be the main reasons for this higher cost of drought in eastern India. Farmers deploy various coping mechanisms but such mechanisms are largely unable to prevent a reduction in income and consumption, especially in eastern India. As a result, welfare consequences on poor farmers are substantial with a large number of people falling back into poverty during drought years. The overall implications for technology design and for policy improvements for drought mitigation and drought relief are discussed in the light of the empirical findings of the study.
Field Crops Research, 2019
Cropping intensity and agricultural productivity in the polders of the coastal zone of Bangladesh... more Cropping intensity and agricultural productivity in the polders of the coastal zone of Bangladesh are much lower than that of most of the country. The main reasons for this are waterlogging, the late harvest (December/ January) of the rainy season rice crop (known as 'aman'), and the lack of readily accessible fresh water during the dry season in the polders. Waterlogging prevents the production of high yielding and earlier maturing rainy season rice varieties (HYV aman), and of high yielding/value rabi (dry season) crops such as maize and sunflower. However, gravity drainage of excess water from the polders is physically feasible. Furthermore, the rivers surrounding the polders in the central coastal zone (Barisal Division) contain large volumes of fresh river water throughout the year. Research was therefore undertaken to evaluate, under good water management, the feasibility of intensifying to high yielding rice-rice-rabi cropping systems in the low salinity central coastal zone. A replicated cropping system experiment was conducted for two years at Patuakhali using a short duration modern 'aus' variety (aus is the name of the rice crop grown during the early rainy season) (BRRI dhan65), a medium duration modern aman variety (BRRI dhan44), and high yielding/value rabi crops. The cropping systems included four aus sowing dates (20 March, 5 and 20 April, 5 May) which resulted in four aman and four rabi sowing dates. Two rabi crops were compared within each sowing date (maize-Pacific 984, sunflower-Hysun 33). Annual cropping system rice equivalent yield (REY) ranged from 13.7 to 20.0 t/ha. All systems were profitable with 100% of labour purchased, although benefit cost ratios (BCR) were not always > 3, suggesting low attractiveness to farmers. However, most polder farms are small, with 30-60% of labour provided by the family. With 75% or less of labour purchased (the rest provided by family), all cropping systems were financially attractive, even with a 10% decline in grain price. Rabi crop yield was the main determinant of total system REY and profitability, both of which declined as sowing date of the rabi crops was delayed beyond 15 December. Optimisation of sowing date of the rabi crops should therefore be the first consideration in cropping system intensification for the low salinity coastal zone. The optimum sowing date of both the maize and sunflower was mid-December. For adequate "turn around" time between all crops, for the varieties used in this study, the aus crop should be sown in mid-April and the aman crop in mid-August. This research shows that, with good water management, it is possible to implement highly productive and profitable aus-aman-rabi cropping systems in the low salinity coastal zone of Bangladesh.
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Papers by Humnath Bhandari (CO-BD)