Apart from the aforementioned two Components, Agriculture and Social Forestry, BEES has been implementing a project entitled “Agricultural Diversification and Intensification Project (ADIP)” under the Department of Agricultural Extension, People’s Republic of Bangladesh with the financial assistance of International Fund for Agricultural Development in Narsingdi district since 1999. BEES is extending the project in two upazilas-Belabo and Monohordi.

The ADIP aims at raising awareness among the target people-landless, small and marginal farmers to be united in groups to improve their socio-economic status through involving themselves in increasing food production giving special emphasis to women. The target beneficiaries are encouraged to cultivate in the wastelands adjacent to their houses, which would reduce malnutrition as well as enhance their income level. Involvement of women will empower them and encourage them to earn more from different sources.

Objectives

To improve the socio-economic status of the landless, marginal and small farmers through increasing food production & reducing malnutrition, and to empower women and increase income level.

Achievement

Under the Agricultural Diversification and Intensification Project (ADIP), BEES so far organized a total of 497 groups constituting 9,042 members as per the project target and criteria. Among total organized groups, 225 are from marginal and landless groups while 113 groups are constituted by the small farmers, and 150 groups and 9 groups are marginal farmers’ group and market operating group respectively.

During the reporting period, a total of 1,742 members in 66 groups were formed under the project of which 9 groups were marginal and landless groups, 48 groups were of marginal farmers and 9 groups were formed with the participation of marketing operating people.

Again, among 9,042 members, 8,214 are female, while the rest of the members are male. Therefore, the percentage of male is only 9% while the rest 91% consists of female members under ADIP.

In the loan disbursement portfolio, about 29.8 million taka was disbursed among 8,699 group members during the reporting period, and the recovery rate was 100%, which is really praiseworthy. Again, the group members so far deposited money amounting to 7 million taka as savings up to the end of the reporting period. About 8.7 million taka was outstanding upto the closing of the reporting year and since the recovery rate was 100%, the overdue/outstanding ratio was nil.

The breakdown of ADIP loan in various sectors is highlighted in the following table.

Breakdown of ADIP Loan in Various Sectors (July 2002-June 2003)

It is observed that the maximum disbursement was made for rickshaw van, which was 12% of the total amount while the minimum disbursement was made for Farm irrigation, which was only 1%.

With the objective to increase skill of the group members to undertake different income earning activities, BEES arranged training for them in collaboration with the Agricultural Extension Department of Bangladesh Govt. under this project. During the reporting period a total of 1,500 group members received training on various agricultural issues. Among the occupational skills development training courses organized, ‘Poultry & Duck Rearing’, ‘Milk Cow-rearing’, ‘Calf rearing’, ‘Homestead Gardening’, ‘Vegetable Gardening’, ‘Fish-culture’, etc. were the included as the training titles. In addition, information were disseminated on health, nutrition, personal hygiene practices, family planning, sanitation, women right, importance of social forestry, environment development, etc. among the group members in the weekly group meetings.

Besides, more than 5,000 seedlings/saplings of vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants were distributed among the target beneficiaries. The aim for distribution of seedlings/saplings was to facilitate the group members to earn some extra money. Simultaneously, the group members were trained and motivated to develop nurseries. They used to sell seedlings at a nominal price to the other members and the community people as well. In this way they started earning extra money and at the same time, the community people are able to get seedling of varieties of fruits, vegetables and timbers at their doorstep with nominal price under this project.