Assessment of Bangladesh’s Pluralistic Extension System

The mission aimed to determine how public, private, and civil society organizations are helping increase the income of small and marginal farmers, especially rural women. The mission also assessed the research-extension linkages between major research institutions in Bangladesh and the public extension system. Public extension institutions visited during the mission included the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Department of Fisheries (DOF), Department of Livestock Services (DLS), Agricultural Information Service (AIS), and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM). The mission also visited public research and education institutions, including the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), and Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI). USAID-funded projects visited during the mission included the Shouardo Project implemented by CARE International, the PRICE project implemented by Chemonics, the ILSAFARM project implemented by the IF, and the REAP project implemented by Winrock International. The mission also visited DANIDA extension projects implemented through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) funded by the World Bank. The mission identified several key findings and recommendations for strengthening the extension/advisory service providers in Bangladesh. The public extension system in Bangladesh is characterized by a pluralistic structure, with multiple institutions and organizations providing extension services to farmers. However, the system faces several challenges, including inadequate institutional capacity, limited financial resources, and poor coordination among different service providers. The mission recommended several options for strengthening the extension/advisory service providers in Bangladesh, including transforming and modernizing the public extension system, strengthening and transforming the extension system at the union/block levels, and strengthening the Agricultural Information Service (AIS) Department. The mission also suggested several near- and long-term strategies for improving the effectiveness, integration, and sustainability of the extension/advisory service providers in Bangladesh. The mission emphasized the need for increased funding to support the extension/advisory service providers in Bangladesh, particularly to improve their institutional capacity and financial resources. The mission also recommended that the government of Bangladesh and development partners prioritize the needs of small and marginal farmers, especially rural women, in their extension/advisory service programs.