REDUCTION OF FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH HOMESTEAD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN MYMENSINGH DISTRICT

Abstract

The Government of Bangladesh has ident ified food securit y as an important factor contributing to its socio-economic stabilization and development. Bangladesh has made a steady progress in the expansion of food production. But because of the increasing population pressure there has been an extensive use of land to meet the growing demand for food. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent of reduction of food insecurit y through homestead vegetable production. The study was conducted with randomly selected 100 rural household farm farmers in the Bhaluka, Trishal and Gaforegaon unions of Mymensingh district. Data were collected through personal interview by using an interview schedule during the period of 2 nd March to 11 th April, 2015. Pearson’s product moment correlation co-efficient (r) was computed to examine relationship between the variables. Five vegetable crops i.e. brinjal, cabbage, amaranth, bottle gourd, bean were introduced in to the existing cropping pattern. Farm size, annual family income, cosmopoliteness, extension contact, agricultural training, knowledge on homestead agriculture, attitude towards homestead agriculture showed significant posit ive relationship with their reduction of homestead vegetable production. Other two variables namely, age and educat ion of the farmers had no significant relationship with their reduction of homestead vegetable production. Reduction of food insecurit y through homestead vegetable production was the dependent variable and nine selected characteristics of the respondents constituted the independent variables of this study. Findings revealed that highest proportion (73 percent) of the farmers had moderately food insecure after homestead vegetable production compared to 20 and 7 percent having low and high food insecure condit ion respectively. On the basis of descending order of the Problem Confrontation Index (PCI) inadequate agricultural land, Lack of capital or fund and Lack of qualit y seed were major problems faced by the farmers in homestead vegetable production.