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This paper investigates the associations between agricultural diversification and dietary diversity among men, women and children of farm households in Bangladesh. Using three waves of nationally representative Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS- 2011–12, 2015 and 2018) data and a panel data model, the study found that agricultural production diversification can emphasize the dietary diversification across the life cycle of farm household members. The balanced panel data reveals that agricultural production diversification has a statistically significant and positive impact on dietary diversity of individual members (men, women and children) of farm households. Moreover, other important factors that impact on agricultural diversification and improve dietary diversity like women's education and employment, commercialization of farm households, access to non-farm income sources, and access to information facilities also have a strong association in improving dietary status, food and nutritional security as well. Although there is currently limited diversity in the diets of adult men, women and children of rural farm households, the situation can be improved over time with proper and consistent support. The findings suggest policy interventions should target not only agricultural diversification but also improve women's education and on and off farm employment opportunities and facilitate better access to information for rural households. These recommendations can support improved dietary diversity for all household members under different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present observation was aimed to evaluate the gross and histometric parameters of the vesicular glands of indigenous bulls. Twenty-eight bulls of three age groups were selected from the local market: the pre pubertal group A (<1 year n=4), pubertal group B (1.5-2.5 years, n=16) and post pubertal or adult group C (above 3 years, n=8). The weight, length (anterio-posterior), width (latero-medial) and the thickness (dorso-ventral) of the both left and right vesicular glands were recorded separately after slaughter of each animal. The left and right vesicular gland shows significantly different (p<0.01), in weight and length in every group. Left vesicular glands were slightly higher than the right in all parameters. The lobules of the gland showed folded mucosa, lined with pseudostratified columnar epithelium. Three types of cells were identified in the epithelium containing A, B and C cell. Type A cells were tall columnar cells having distinct cell boundaries with the oval, round or elongated nucleus. Type B cells were located in the basal lamina having round or oval nucleus with indistinct cell boundaries. Type C cells were narrow columnar cells interspersed between A cells with darkly stained cytoplasm. Lamina propria consisted of loose connective tissue surrounded the alveoli, tubules and some solid end pieces. The numbers of secretory end pieces were variable. The diameters of luminated or non-luminated acini of the glandular end pieces and ducts were increased gradually and significantly (p<0.01) with the advancement of age. The epithelial height of the duct and alveoli were increased with the advancement of age, but no significantly differences among them. Tunica adventitia and muscularis grew with the advancement of age while the interstitial tissue shrunk equally. Above all parameters help to conclude that the vesicular glands of the pubertal indigenous bulls were more functional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper measures the total factor productivity (TFP), technical change (TC) and technical efficiency change (TEC) in rice production, and traces the impact of market reform policies of the 1990s on these indices at the farm level in Bangladesh using a unique cohort of three-period panel data (1987, 2000 and 2004) of 73 farms by applying stochastic production frontier approach. Results reveal that the TFP index has increased by 27% largely due to an upward shift of the technology frontier. Although TC has increased by an impressive 57%, TEC declined by 30.1% during the post-reform period, thereby depressing overall TFP growth. The market liberalization policies exerted significantly positive impacts on TC and TFP growth but negatively on TEC. Farm size and household size also significantly improved these indices while education, tenancy and off-farm income exerted negative effects. Policy implications include continued liberalization of markets and land reform measures to increase farm size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper re-examines the effect of green revolution (GR) diffusion on factor/inputs demand in Bangladesh using an empirical model that allows for simultaneous determination of factors influencing adoption of GR technology at the current mature stage, as well as access to irrigation. Results reveal some alignments with conventional wisdom as well as few surprises. For example, while an increased demand for major inputs is expected, an increased demand for organic manure is an unexpected positive outcome. The GR adoption rate is significantly higher in villages with access to irrigation and fertile soils and, surprisingly, in infrastructurally underdeveloped villages. Together with other expected findings of GR technology uptake with higher cereal prices and irrigation use encouraged by access to credit, tenurial status and fertile soils, our findings suggest that investment in irrigation and soil conservation, as well as implementing measures to improve cereal prices and provide agricultural credit, could boost GR technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper investigates the causality relationships among energy consumption, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and income in India using a dynamic modeling approach. The paper also utilises an innovation accounting method to investigate profiles of the macroeconomic variables persisting from an unanticipated shock in innovation. Our results provide evidence of the existence of bi-directional Granger causality between energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the long-run but neither CO2 emissions nor energy consumption causes movements in real income. There is no causality relationship between energy consumption and income in any direction in the long-run implying that India could follow energy conservation and efficiency improvement policies without impeding economic growth. This will allow India to reduce CO2 emissions without affecting its economic growth and contribute significantly towards combating global warming as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although the government policy supports the adoption of hybrid rice in Bangladesh but there is no significant progress has been made over the last decades. The study aimed to determine farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of hybrid rice adoption, and the causal relationship between them in Bangladesh. Using a stratified random sampling technique, 244 cross-sectional surveys were done from the Sherpur district of Bangladesh. The descriptive statistics, two-round Delphi method, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were used to estimate latent variables and identify the causal relationship between KAPs. The results revealed that farmers' knowledge and attitudes were directly and significantly associated with the adoption of hybrid rice. This implies that farmers who are well informed about the usage of hybrid rice and are likely to embrace it and raise their revenue, can be influenced by knowledge. The study found a significant positive role for knowledge about hybrid rice, attitudes, and practices in adopting hybrid rice. This study provides a primary understanding of the relationship between psychological factors and the adoption of hybrid rice technology to increase rice farm productivity. The findings suggest that policymakers, researchers and development agencies should focus on farmers' psychological factors in improving the adoption of hybrid rice in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne disease is a major health problem worldwide and unhealthy food handling practices are a cause of foodborne disease (FBD) transmission among – populations. Red meat handlers play an important role in ensuring food safety throughout production, processing, transportation, and preparation. This study investigates the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of red meat handlers in the Dhaka megacity of Bangladesh (DMCB). Four hundred cross-sectional samples were collected from the DMCB using a pretested survey-structured questionnaire. Descriptive, and inferential statistics, and the KAP model were applied using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of SmartPLS 0.3 software to achieve objectives. All factor loading scores (>0.5) and Cronbach's alpha (α ≥ 0.69) were greater than the reference value, which means that indicators of reliability and internal consistency measure latent variables. The results found a significant positive association between red meat handling practice and knowledge and attitude. Red meat handlers' knowledge has a moderating effect on the relationship between attitude and practice, where attitude positively affects practices toward food safety. The findings revealed that the KAP model met the goodness-of-fit criteria (HTMT<1, SRMR<0.08, NFI>0.90) and was acceptable (AVF≤0.50). The estimated model for food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices is well-suited and deemed acceptable. The findings also reveal that food safety knowledge has a significant and beneficial impact on food safety attitudes. Furthermore, attitudes regarding food safety and its measures are linked in a significant way. The findings could aid public health professionals and practitioners in developing focused initiatives to improve meat handlers' food safety knowledge and practices and prevent FBD. The government should pay special attention to improving food safety knowledge and ensuring quality handling practices to protect FBD transmission in the DMCB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestic rice procurement program in Bangladesh aims to build stocks for the public foodgrain distribution system and provides income support to farmers. The support price is higher than the cost of production. We analyzed the factors influencing farm-level rice stocks and examined the effectiveness of this program. Understanding farm-level stocks is a pre-requisite in designing an effective procurement program in Bangladesh. In doing so, we used Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2010, historical and survey data. We found that the farm-level stocks vary positively with production. Also, the stocks varied positively with respect to prices in Boro and Aus seasons, but negatively in the Aman season. Results also showed that government stock was negatively correlated with domestic procurement, but the planned distribution was positively correlated with it. Apart from that, annual household income including farm income increased due to participation in the procurement program. The implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the causal relationship between energy demand and economic growth in Bangladesh using annual time series data from 1980 to 2011 from World Development Indicator (WDI), Database of the World Bank. Since the results of causal direction are sensitive to the models being employed, the paper uses Maximum Entropy Bootstrap (meboot) due to its superiority to overcome small sample bias and limitation of asymptotic distribution theory. To avoid the omitted variables bias, the paper uses multivariate framework in production function specification. The paper finds that a unidirectional causality runs from economic growth to energy demand which indicates that conservative policy might not harm the Bangladesh economy but since economic progress leads higher energy consumption, demand side management of energy and exploring renewable energy sources are must. The implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]