Abstract
This paper examines the long-term impacts of the joint prawn-rice gher farming system on agricultural and household incomes, soil fertility, and productivity of modern variety (MV) rice in southwestern Bangladesh, based on socioeconomic data of the gher farmers and soil fertility data of their gher plots. In 2005, 20 farmers operating on 30 plots were randomly selected from the Bilpabla village of Khulna from whom prawn and MV rice production data were collected using a questionnaire; soil samples were also collected and tested. In 2011 and 2017, the sustainability of the gher system over time was assessed through another survey of farmers following the same methodology. Results revealed that although the nominal income from gher farming increased by 59 percent in 2011 and 23 percent in 2017, the real income and per capita household income remained unchanged over time. Agricultural income has contributed about 65 percent to household income, which for gher farmers was about 200 percent higher than average rural incomes in Bangladesh. Rice productivity declined slightly from its 2005 level. However, the productivity of MV rice under prawn-rice gher farming is substantially higher than in the conventional MV rice farming system. The positive estimates of the Mean Soil Quality Index and Soil Degradation Index for land used for MV paddy production within the gher indicate an increase in soil nutrients. This suggests that the joint prawn-rice gher farming system is relatively sustainable, having improved soil fertility and stabilized real income. Policy implications toward promoting agricultural growth in the southwestern region of Bangladesh include research on developing varieties of MV rice suited to prawn-rice gher farming and the development of commercial feeds and markets for prawn to further raise productivity and incomes of gher farmers.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Rice productivity declined slightly from its 2005 level.
- Taxon
- Rice
Oryza sativae0 - Outcome
- Rice productivitye0
- Direction
- declined slightlye0
- Comparator
- 2005 levele0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Rice productivity declined slightly from its 2005 level.”
Claim · model-written summary
MV rice productivity in prawn-rice gher farming was substantially higher than in conventional MV rice farming.
Verbatim
e0“the productivity of MV rice under prawn-rice gher farming is substantially higher than in the conventional MV rice farming system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil quality indices indicated increased nutrients in gher land used for MV paddy.
Verbatim
e0“The positive estimates of the Mean Soil Quality Index and Soil Degradation Index for land used for MV paddy production within the gher indicate an increase in soil nutrients.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that the joint prawn-rice gher system is relatively sustainable.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativae0
- Outcome
- joint prawn-rice gher farming system is relatively sustainablee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This suggests that the joint prawn-rice gher farming system is relatively sustainable, having improved soil fertility and stabilized real income.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend developing MV rice varieties suited to prawn-rice gher farming.
Verbatim
e0“research on developing varieties of MV rice suited to prawn-rice gher farming”