A Pathway to Engage Youth in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is mainly an agricultural country where agriculture contributing 14.23% GDP and arable land (% of land area) is 59.71 % (World Bank, 2018). Around 50 percent of the population is primarily employed in agriculture, with more than 70 percent of its land dedicated to growing crops. According to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations, it is expected to reach 10961.00 BDT Million by the end of 2020 in Agriculture. In Bangladesh, one third of the total population (age between 18-35 years) have in a wonderful position to harvest demographic dividend from this large young population. We can convert this enormous young population in to huge economic power through green agriculture. But this large number of the youth does not paying attention in agriculture because its mode of social status (farmers), less profit, natural risk in sustainable production, inferior polices in Government and private sector and no diversified eye-catching future opportunities. As a result, the youth society thought that it's an old-fashioned profession as well less attractive- low profitable business in Bangladesh. Apart from the above view, if the Government provides modern technologies and equipments to the youth who received Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET) or the youth himself who received TVET can set-up modern farm with latest research and production ideas then they’ll find interest as profitable and sustainable agricultural business which will also give many attractive future opportunities. Therefore, the attached write-up articulates the overall status of youth engaging in agriculture and drawbacks while stepping as Agricultural entrepreneur in Bangladesh.
The youth comprises a huge portion of the total population of Bangladesh. According to BBS, 2018 and DYD, 2017 survey the population group between 18-35 years consists almost one third of the total population. The above data tells us that Bangladesh is now in a wonderful position to harvest demographic dividend from this large young population. Through green agriculture we can convert this huge young population in to huge economic power. 4 E’s model- a pathway to engage youth in Agriculture sector.
Education (especially agriculture) needs to emphasize on skill development; it should be need-based training for the youth. Higher education should be market driven with 12 months internship under a commercial farm/factory. This education will create employment opportunities which will lead to a sustainable entrepreneurship environment among the young people. Thus, effective engagement of youth in agriculture and food security can ensure SDGs targets. Bangladeshi education only provides theoretical lectures with some practical demonstrations and this insufficient and shallow practical engagement which does not sufficiently provide the entrepreneurship background. Youths need commercial and smart agriculture (Digitalisation within agriculture) for a new horizon. For years, our Bangladeshi farmers are cultivating tomato only in winter season (3-4 months) and do not get commercial value for traditional style. Nowadays, use of low-cost polythene tunnel as shade and introduction of hormone as flower initiation facilitate offseason production (in summer season) as well bring substantial profit. If we shift from poly tunnel to modern green house technology with Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET), it will be eye-catching (money-spinning) business area for young people, which will attract the youth as an entrepreneur. And, the generations of 21st century will not treat agriculture sector as an old-fashioned sector and a profession of ageing people. The engagement of youths in agriculture sectors is still low due to negative perception of high risks and low returns. There are also a number of problems/bottlenecks which don’t encourage the young entrepreneurs to step in: Some of those are bureaucratic and technical problems in starting a new venture, knowledge-based innovation is neglected, ineffective strategic partnership between established and new partnership, absence of special policy strategies for young entrepreneurs, traditional middle class mindset (egoistic mentality) and improper branding for accessing to international market and inadequate bank loan facilities are also an obstacle for youth’s engagement in agriculture sector. Moreover, mindset of parents is important because from the very beginning, parents desire their child to be a doctor, engineer, bureaucrat and so on. Guardians never think of their child to be a good farmer. And thus, still agriculture is an optional or recreational effort to the youths. But in the developed countries, youths take agriculture as a profession. So, the appropriate youth policies such as youth empowerment (Govt. policy instrument, Institution, Financial support and Marketing etc), insurance for crop/animal/fish farming, gender impartiality, inter-sectoral approach and research & extension linkage are to be developed and put in place. Our youth training centres can take foreign exposure trip for the young people, as a part of training, to encourage them in farming. A plenty of Government and NGOs such as BRAC, ifarmer, Oxfam, Department of Youth Development, Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Youth Development and National Youth Development Training Institute etc. are working for youth development with limited technical/trained manpower.
References
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 2018. http://www.bbs.gov.bd.
Department of Youth Development (DYD), 2017. http://www.dyd.gov.bd