IMPACT OF HOMESTEAD FARMING ON THE LIVELIHOOD AND FARM ECONOMY IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF NARSINDI AND GAZIPUR DISTRICTS

Abstract

The study was conducted at Shibpur Upazila in Narsingdi district and Gazipur Sadar Upazila in Gazipur district during the period of January to June 2007. The study was designed to asses the impact and present status of the technologies implemented during December 1997 to June 2004 under Agricultural Diversification and Intensification Project (ADIP). A sample of 100 beneficiaries was interviewed using a pre-tested interview schedule to collect the necessary information keeping the objectives of the study in mind. TIle beneficiaries were selected through random sampling method from 4 unions. Majority of the respondents (70%) were in the middle aged (36-50 years) group, while 60% of the respondents were in the primary level education, having average farm size of 0.221 ha. Seventy percent of the respondents got different types of training. of which 43% participated homestead vegetable cultivation training. Among the implemented technologies through ADJP, most of the beneficiaries were benefited and adopted it for a continued use. The technologies backed up by ADJP were found desirable as perceived from the opinions of the concerned farmers. Most of the technologies like introduction of new varieties, seedling raising, sustained significantly. The impact of ADIP was judged through the life style of the respondents. Most of those criteria were correlated with the individual characteristics of the respondents. Education. farm size. cosmopoliteness, training received had significant relationship with the impact like change in income. food consumption. health and sanitation. The average annual income of respondents increased from Tk 42,000.00 to Tk 71,000.00 while food consumption enhanced from 1700 Kcal to 2050 KcaJ.