LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT OF FARMERS THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN SERP PROGRAM
Date
2014-06
Authors
DITI, S.M. JANNATUN ISLAM
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
HAJEE MOHAMMAD DANESH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY, DINAJPUR.
Abstract
The study aimed at exploring the livelihood improvement of the SERP program participants
and finding out the relationships between some of the selected characteristics of the farmers
and their livelihood improvement. Data were collected by using a pre-tested interview
schedule from the farmers of four unions under Atwari upazila of Panchagarh district. Data
were collected from randomly selected 103 respondents of the total 1030 SERP beneficiaries
by using simple random sampling method from 17 May to 25 June, 2014. The selected nine
(9) characteristics of the farmers such as age, education, family size, farm size, annual
income, training experience, agricultural knowledge, extension media contact and
organizational participation were considered as the independent variables where livelihood
improvement of the fac constituted the dependent variable. Livelihood improvement of
the farmers was measured by 5 point modified Likert scale. It was found that the observed
score of livelihood improvement of the participating farmers ranged from 51 to 101 in score
while the possible range was 45 to 225. The mean livelihood improvement score was 81.83
with a standard deviation of 9.43. Among the farmers, 66.0 percent belonged to medium
status of livelihood improvement status while 14.6 percent of them had high status of
livelihood improvement and 19.4 percent had low status of livelihood improvement. The
variation regarding different assets of livelihood was minimum, the highest status of
livelihood improvement was observed in case of natural capital and it was the lowest in case
of social capital. Four (4) out of nine (9) selected characteristics of the farmers are education,
farm size, annual income] and agricultural knowledge had significant positive relationships
with their livelihood improvement. Rests of the characteristics are age, family size, training
experience, extension media contact and organizational participation had no significant
relationship with their livelihood improvement.
Description
Bangladesh is a developing country where 76.47 percent of her total population lives in the
rural areas (AIS, 2007). Agriculture is the principal means of livelihoods in Bangladesh.
Rural participants are intimately involved in all phases of agricultural activities in rural areas.
People, who primarily work as unpaid family worker, accounted for 45.6 percent of the total
employment in agriculture (FAO, 2003). The daily life of rural participant is characterized by
search for water, fuel and inputs for agriculture or household production for maintaining their
livelihoods. The fundamental requirement for the improvement of livelihoods of the
household is to inhance peoples strength and activities essential for the means of living. The
livelihood improvement is founded on a belief that people require a range of assets to achieve
a positive livelihood outcome. The major livelihood components are human, social, financial,
physical and natural capitals (DFID, 2000).
Keywords
PARTICIPATION IN SERP PROGRAM, History of SERP Program in Bangladesh, Specific Objectives of the Study