Agriculture in Bangladesh

Agriculture is the largest employment sector in Bangladesh, making up 14.2 percent of Bangladesh’s GDP in 2017 and employing about 42.7 percent of the workforce. The performance of this sector has an overwhelming impact on major macroeconomic objectives like employment generation, poverty alleviation, human resources development, food security, and other economic and social forces. A plurality of Bangladeshis earns their living from agriculture. Due to a number of factors, Bangladesh’s labour-intensive agriculture has achieved steady increases in food grain production despite the often unfavorable weather conditions. These include better flood control and irrigation, a generally more efficient use of fertilizers, as well as the establishment of better distribution and rural credit networks. Bangladesh is mainly an agricultural country. About 85% of our total population depends on agriculture directly or indirectly. The soil of Bangladesh is fertile and its climate is favourable for an agricultural product. Rice and jute are the main agricultural products of our country. Rice is our principal food and jute is our main cash crop. Other valuable crops are various kinds of pulse, sugarcane, betel nut and betel left, vegetables are also important among the products of our country. The commonest of them are potato, brinjal, onion, garlic, radish, and pumpkin. The soil of Bangladesh is very fertile. It seems strange to think why the agricultural output of this land is low. So the peasants and hardly procure two meals a day. They are ill-clad and ill-fed. They fall easy victims to disease and cannot give proper medical aid to themselves and their children. They are ignorant of the scientific methods of cultivation and farming. It is the first and foremost duty to impart agricultural education to our peasants. Night schools should be established in every village for adult education. They should be taught to use scientific methods of cultivation. Sub-divisions of land should be stopped by making law. The land should be ploughed by tractors. In view of the fact that agriculture is the backbone of our national economy, top-priority should be given for the development of our agriculture. The government of Bangladesh has undertaken various programs for the improvement of agriculture.