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Developing nations like Bangladesh are particularly vulnerable to poultry diseases, notably Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Adopting biosecurity approaches that assist farms in disease control and prevention can decrease the industry-wide dissemination of infectious diseases. In light of these factors, this study was carried out to investigate the implementation of biosecurity practices on layer farms in Bangladesh. Using a stratified random sample method, a total of 315 layer farms from fourteen upazilas (sub-districts) in seven districts were surveyed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The study explored layer farmers' experiences with biosecurity procedures adopted on farms that included equipment, employees, and visitors. The study found that the overall biosecurity score was 72.5 out of 100. It was concluded that internal biosecurity was better than external biosecurity. The study also revealed that layer farms have a larger proportion of partial adopters based on the adoption index. The application of the Tobit model identifies that education, farming experience, attitude towards risk, price of layer sheds, return from layer production, and access to biosecurity knowledge had a substantial influence on adopting biosecurity measures. The findings might be helpful for farmers and policymakers to ensure the required modifications to improve compliance with biosecurity protocols and could assist relevant authorities in implementing particular biosecurity initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural extension services play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable agriculture, particularly in developing countries where many farmers are resource-poor. Enhancing farmers' profitability and productivity is essential to meet the increasing demand of a growing population. This study aims to examine the impact of agricultural extension services on the profitability and productivity of rice farmers in Bangladesh. The analysis uses unbalanced panel data from the International Food Policy Research Institute's Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey for 2015 and 2018. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to assess whether the differences between the participant and non-participant groups were statistically significant. Additionally, a probit regression model is used to identify the determinants of participation in agricultural extension services. The findings reveal that participation is positively influenced by access to subsidies, distance to market, occupation and livelihood vulnerability. The impact of agricultural extension services on farm productivity and profitability is assessed using difference-in-difference and random effect generalized least squares models. The results show that agricultural extension services significantly contribute to both farm profitability and productivity. This suggests that governments should intensify and monitor the delivery of agricultural extension services, particularly focusing on the timely provision of support resource-poor farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This study estimates the productive impacts of four important social safety net programs in Bangladesh. Two are cash transfer programs called old age allowance (OAA) and allowances for the widowed, deserted, and destitute (AWDD) providing cash income support to targeted beneficiaries. The other two are conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs called stipend for primary education (SPE) and stipend for secondary and higher secondary education for female students (SSHE) providing cash support by imposing conditionalities and hence are CCT programs. We measure productive impacts on the beneficiary households using labor allocation, income generating activities, investments in land, durable goods, human capital and coping mechanisms as indicators. We use the HIES 2010 data and the propensity score matching method to estimate impacts. The beneficiaries under OAA, AWDD, SPE and SSHE numbered 485, 203, 444 and 176, respectively. Results show that both conditional and unconditional cash transfer programs had moderate productive impacts, but the impacts were statistically significant only in the case of CCT programs. The average treatment effect on treated (ATT) in SPE was significant for self-employed in off-farm activities, expenditure on durable goods, total credit and non-food expenditure. ATT in SSHE was significant for selfemployed in farm activities, income from crop production, income from livestock production, spending on fertilizer use, total credit and education expenditure. This indicates that the SPE and the SSHE contribute to some productive outcome indicators. Policy makers should design programs taking account of not only the goal of protection but also to the impact on productive capacity. [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]