This document summarizes a survey of homestead agroforestry systems in Bangladesh. The survey interviewed 210 households in 7 villages across different regions of Bangladesh. The results showed that most farmers owned their homestead land, which is positive for homestead agroforestry. Farmers were also familiar with growing trees and believed there was space for more trees on their land. The conditions in Bangladesh appear favorable for implementing homestead agroforestry systems to improve rural livelihoods.
2. INTRODUCTION
Homestead, the home and adjacent grounds occupied by
a family, is the potential production area in Bangladesh,
especially for the resource poor group.
Homestead production system, which is popularly called
homestead agroforestry or home gardening.
This field survey was undertaken to assess the prospects
and feasibility of initiating a programme for the
improvement of homestead agroforestry systems.
It showed that the prospects for improving homestead
agroforestry systems are good because most
respondents own their homesteads and believe there is
room for more trees on them.
3. General Description of Area
Location
Latitudes-20°34' to 26°38' (North)
Longitudes- 88°01' to 92°41' (East)
Total Area- 1,47,570 square km
Climate: dominated by the monsoon which usually begins in June and ends
in October.
Temperatue: Temperature is fairly uniform nationwide, with extremes of
near 0°C to 40 +°C recorded.
Rainfall: Average rainfall is reported to vary from about 3000 mm at
Cox's Bazar in the southeast at 1600mm at Dinajpur in the northwest.
4. Biophysical Environment
Four general physiographic regions are present; the hills, the delta, the
plains, and the dryland regions.
Hills-Eastern Chittagong and Sylhet districts
Delta-Khulna and Barisal districts
Drylands-Rajshahi district in west-central Bangladesh.
5. Land Use System
Bangladesh's economy and employment are dominated by agriculture.
Cropping patterns follow the rainfall. This is particularly true for rice
which has three distinct crops.
The rabi season is dry and extends from late October to late March.
Irrigated boro rice is grown in this season. Non-irrigated crops include
wheat, potatoes, and oilseeds. About a third of the cultivated land is used
in this season.
Kharif-1
Kharif-2
7. Evaluation
A survey was made of farmers throughout Bangladesh to help answer these
questions.
The districts (and regions re-presented) were Barisal (delta); Chittangong
and Sylhet (hills); and Dhaka, Mymensingh, Pabna, and Rangpur (plains and
dryland).
One village was selected in each district. Thirty households were
interviewed in each village.
Two hundred and ten households in the seven villages were interviewed.
Village leaders and in-
Fluential persons were included because their attitudes would help shape
village opinion.
10. Interpretation of result
The survey showed that most farmers owned their homestead site, even if
they did not own the land they farmed.
The large number of owned homesteads and farms is a positive influence
on a homestead agroforestry system.
11. Conclusion
The conditions in Bangladesh seem favorable for the successfully
implementation of a homestead agroforestry system.
the farmers are familiar with trees and their cultivation, and they believe
that they have room to plant more trees.
Suggestion
model
12. Criticism
This research study was conducted about homestead agroforestry in
Bangladesh regarding only fuelwood and fodder.
But homestead agroforestry play vital role in rural economy and to fulfil
nutritional demand of rural people besides providing fuelwood and fodder.