Rajshahi & Rangpur Divisions: Estimated land coverage: 100,000 ha

The following six strategic objectives are derived from the vision, given the outlook scenario: • Objective 01: Increase the productivity and nutrition value of rice sustainably to meet the increasing global demand (Increase productivity, nutrition value and sustainability). • Objective 02: Enhance the rice value chain by improving food quality, diversity and food safety while reducing post-harvest losses (Enhance value chain and reduce post-harvest losses). • Objective 03: Improve mitigation/adaptation of rice farming to climate change and improve farmers’ capacity to cope with risk (Mitigate/adapt to climate change and reduce risk). • Objective 04: Minimize the environmental footprint of rice production and enhance the ecosystem functions of rice landscapes, including the protection/promotion of rice heritage and culture and landscape management (Conserve environment and heritage). • Objective 05: Improve the efficiency, reliability and fairness of domestic and international rice markets for stabilizing rice price and supply, ensuring equitable access by the poor and promoting regional collaboration (Promote fair and efficient market and trade). • Objective 06: Enhance the well-being and livelihoods of smallholders, women and the new generation of rice producers by improving adjustments to long-term changes in demography, farm size and labour supply (Improve organization of production, and empower youth and women).

Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is a water-saving technology that lowland (paddy) rice farmers can apply to reduce their water use in irrigated fields. In AWD, irrigation water is applied to flood the field a certain number of days after the disappearance of ponded water. Hence, the field is alternately flooded and non-flooded. The number of days of non-flooded soil in AWD between irrigations can vary from day one to more than ten days depending on the soil type.

This is a project to support farmers to manage their irrigated water use (and reduce by 30 to 40% annually) by using the Alternative Wetting and Drying Techniques. AWD leads to reductions in water consumption because they experience shorter inundation periods. Studies have shown that the longer the water is logging in the rice fields, the more methane-producing Microbes grow, and the more methane they generate. Adjusting the duration of flooding (some dry and some flooded periods) therefore reduces methane production and emissions. 

Water is a critically important resource for rice production. However, water availability for rice production is becoming scarcer both physically and economically. In addition, deterioration of water quality because of agro-chemical load and other contaminants is an increasing concern. Major options for rice production include improved on-farm water management for raising crop water productivity, modernization of irrigation systems and the conjunctive use and management of surface water and groundwater.

Water harvesting and more effective use of rainwater are some of the key options for rainfed areas. Given the small average farm size in several major rice-growing countries in Bangladesh, rice production is likely to be carried out mainly by smallholders in the near term despite the underlying pressure for an expansion of farm size. For efficiency, smallholder farmers need to be able to reap the benefit of scale in production and marketing by being organized in institutions that reduce transaction costs and increase overall efficiency. Such institutions include group farming, contract farming, community organizations and farmer cooperatives. Capacity building and empowerment of such farmer organizations and farmer groups are hence needed to increase the efficiency of smallholder agriculture and to connect smallholders effectively with the market for income generation.

Project ID: TBD