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Bangladesh and FAO

Two Decades of Development Cooperation
Genesis of Bangladesh and FAO Cooperation: Bangladesh formally became a member of FAO on 12 November 1973. Since then a rlose relationship has developed between Bangladesh and FAO in the fields of agriculture, food, forestry, fisheries and rural development These bonds were further strengthened with the establishment of an FAO Representative's Office in Dhaka In 1978.
Cooperation between FAO and Bangladesh extending over two decades has strengthened Government programmes for the Improvement of life of many people and for increasing food production and creating a higher level of food security and in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). FAO was one of the first international agencies to bring assistance to Bangladesh in the post war period.
From Initial programmes of emergency relief in the immediate post-war period FAO support was expanded to provide technical assistance for major development projects in many areas of national priority
including crop production, horticulture, nutrition, 'livestock. fisheries and forestry.
Development achievements and the experiences gained have been mutually rewarding. FAO has assisted Bangladesh in its development efforts and Bangladesh has reciprocated through its active participation in the FAO system of commissions. committees and working parties and its Council and Conference, as well as through Bangladeshi experts, more than 140 of whom are now working for FAO throughout the wood '.
Bangladesh was elected for three consecutive 3-year terms from 1977 to 1985 to the 49-member FAO Council, the policy body which meets twice a year. Bangladesh also worked from 1975 to 1979 In the nine-member Finance Committee. which oversees FAO financial affairs. Bangladesh also served in a number of bodies of the Organization, including the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes (CFA) for the period 1977-83. Representatives of Bangladesh have also conducted many of FAO's Important sessions. They held
key positions, including Commission Chairman and Vice-Chairman in two Council sessions (74th and 82nd Councils in 1978 and 1982 respectively). Currently. Bangladesh Is serving as a Council member of FAO. Additionally. Bangladesh has been involved in various important regional and international bodies of FAO thereby extending Bangladesh's concern to the international community. Bangladesh has also made significant contributions to FAO assisted programmes, by hosting, cosponsoring and participating in numerous workshops, seminars held at the national, regional and international levels.
The current FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific i? a very well-known and distinguished national of Bangladesh — former Agriculture Minister Mr A Z M Obaidullah Khan.
Cooperation between FAO and Bangladesh has focused primarily on building national institutional capacity required for the effective planning and management of natural resources — land, water, man-
power — and on providing increased access to technical know-how. FAO has also strongly suppor-ted the transfer of appropriate technology and expertise to Bangladesh through training programmes with many institutions. Major areas of earlier assistance included agricultural extension and agricultural research including a major study resulting In the classification of the entire country into different agroecological zones which provides a major work of reference for agricultural planning. Important inputs "were also made to support the development of the poultry and dairy sub-sectors, marine and inland fisheries and also to support national forestry development programmes — the latter covering both management and research but also extending to the establishment of a forestry degree course.
From a modest level of some US$ 2.5 million in 1977-78 total delivery under FAO assisted programmes expanded to a peak in 1985 of US$ 9.4 million. During the next 5-year period programme delivery declined to a level of US$4.1
by 1989 but from 1990 onwards the decline was followed by a period of consolidation and expansion and as shown in the graph below total delivery in 1994 is currently projected to exceed US$7 million. The major part (some 83 per cent) of the current programme is funded through UNDP with trust fund assistance and the FAO/TCP programme representing 14 per cent and 3 per cent of total delivery, respectively. Compared with other countries of the Asia and Pacific Region the FAO field programme in Bangladesh as of. 1993 was the third largest in dollar terms being exceeded only by China and Pakistan.
Highlights of Current Progammes:
FAO is currently providing assistance to ten national projects as well as to 29 regional projects ip which Bangladesh is participating. Nineteen of these projects are funded by UNDP; 16 projects through Trust Fund arrangement': and 4 protects are funded from FAO/TCP resources.
In the crop agriculture sector FAO is supporting the Ministry of Agriculture's Accelerated Cereal Production Programme (ACPI with a core project to bring to farmers demonstrations of new tech nologles for irrigated agriculture. It is complemented by supporting projects In policy formulation and planning and integrated pest management. The core project (entitled Thana Cereal Technology Identification and Transfer Project: TCTTI) has as its main objective to increase farm productivity through the identification and extension of Improved cereal technologies. It is designed to promote Inten slve. diverse arid sustainable rice-based cropping systems which will utilize water re sources in an optimum manner ' and reduce the need for food
Imports.
Also in the crop sector FAO is assisting a large-scale field-oriented programme in horticulture research and development. With investment and TA inputs funded by ADB and UNDP respectively this Government project implements Its activities around 16 Horticulture Demonstration and Training Centres (HDTC) of the Department of Agriculture Extension and 9 Horticulture Development Centres (HDC) of the Bangladesh Agricul-tural Development Corporation each being developed as a nucleus for direct farmer training and extension activities. So far. more than 3.000 growers. 125 technical staff of DAE and BADC, 250 traders, wholesalers. private marketing managers and exporters have been trained. While the major thrust of the project Is to Improve the qualitative as well as quantitative aspects of fruit, vegetable and spice crops production in order to Improve the nutritional status of rural as well as urban populations the project is also laying an . R&D foundation for future export possibilities.
In the forestry sector. FAO Is engaged in supporting the Forestry Department in the development and implementation of social forestry and agro forestry programmes and in the development of a multisectoral integrated management system for the Sundar bans ecology. The latter project is designed to conduct mangrove ecosystem studies and to develop a longterm sustainable multipleuse plan to fully integrate the conservation, management and development of the several resources of the Sundarbans especially wood and timber; nonwood forest produce; fish; shrimp and crabs; wildlife, honey: tourism and recreation. The project Is developing a system for monitoring the Sundarbans
ecosystem. In pre-paring an Integrated Resour ces Management Plan, it will also make recommendations for strengthening institutional arrangements for multi-purpose management.
Under the Thana Afforestation and Nursery Development Project funded through ADB and UNDP. FAO is providing technical assistance to the Government to upgrade and expand the existing capacity of the Forest Department and the Thana Parishads for the design. Implementation and management of social forestry programmes in 61 districts. Around 76.000 of rural dwellers have been Im-!>arted training on agro-orestry. The project objective is especially to promote community Involvement in social forestry programmes.
Working In support of the Department of Agricultural Extension's field programme, the FAO Inter-country Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme has established 78 IPM field schools for farmers in 72 thanas and a total of 3,775 rice farmers have been given special trainfrig and information on IPM techniques through a seasofi-long practical field training.
FAO support to vegetable seed development brings benefits to various groups In Bangladesh. Farmers are particularly benefitted through the availability of locally pro duced high quality seeds but also, and in line with the Government of Bangladesh’s seed policy announced In 1991, provisions have been made to actively Involve the private seed sector tn production and distribution of quality seed The project has under taken extensive training pro rammes in which more chan 000 seed marketing Individ uals were trained In addition more than 2.500 farmer field demonstrations with quality
seed varieties were organized country wide on a collaborative basis including BADC. DAE. and various NGO extension services. During 1993,- ten metric tons of high quality seed was produced through' contract farmers and distributed to vegetable growers though private seed distribution channels. During 1994, a commitment from the private sector to produce 50 metric tons of quality vegetable seed through trained farmers has Ijeen received and this programme is under implementation under supervision of BADC and BARI.
Fisheries development In Bangladesh has long Deen supported by FAO and current attention is focused on aquaculture development and fisheries research covering both inland as'well as marine subsectors. Under the Government s programme for pond fish production. FAO project Is providing aquaculture training to 350 extension officers and over 3,000 fish farmers though Trickle Down system of extension tn which trained farmers pass on their acquired techniques and knowledge to other farmers on a systematic and expanding basis. At present annual pond culture production Is about 150.000 tons by the end of project in mid of 1995 It Is estimated that the production will Increase to over 500.000 tons.
In the area of livestock. FAQ has been supporting Govern! merit s duck development and Improvement programme* and Increased duck production in rural areas Is proving to be an Important factor in enhancing rural Incomes and Increasing acres* for the rural poor to ■upplies of animal protein. In addition, under a project with Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute assistance ha* been Kii In the preparation of a
•tock Research Master Ptah