PES - BANGLADESH - SMALL SCALE IRRIGATION

A JANUARY 1977 SURVEY REVEALED THAT WHILE THERE WERE ABOUT 3,000 PUMPHEADS IN STOCK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THERE WAS LITTLE PIPE. AS A RESULT, PRICES SOARED, PUTTING COST OUT OF REACH OF SMALL FARMER TARGET GROUP. FOLLOWING THE 6/77 PROJECT EVALUATION, USAID AND BDG AGREED THAT THE BANGLADESH AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (BADC) WOULD ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, AND THAT PROJECT EMPHASIS WOULD SHIFT FROM CREDIT TO PUMP PRODUCTION. THEN, AS A RESULT OF AN 11 MONTH DELAY IN BDG APPROVAL AND SEVEN MONTHS OF CONSULTANT NEGOTIATIONS WITH AMMAN AND WHITNEY, A SECOND IRRIGATION SEASON PASSED WITH ALMOST NO PUMP SALES. SINCE 8/78, HOWEVER, THE BDG HAS ALLOTTED TK 6,000,000 TO THE PROJECT AND BADC HAS PUT OUT TENDERS FOR 10,000 PUMPS.ONLY RECENTLY HAS BDG PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL TK 20,000,000 WHICH WILL ENABLE BADG TO ORDER 15,000 MORE PUMPS. THE CONSULTANT WILL SOON MANAGE A LARGE INSPECTION AND ADVISING SECTION. WHILE BADC IS PREPARED TO PROCURE A MAXIMUM OF 25,000 PUMPS THIS IRRIGATION SEASON, THE END OF PROJECT TARGET REMAINS AT 240,000 PUMPS. TO ACHIEVE THIS TARGET, OVER 100,000 PUMPS WILL HAVE TO BE PURCHASED IN EACH OF THE NEXT TWO YEARS. BADC WILL PERFORM A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE YEAR TO YEAR NEED FOR TAKA (LOCAL CURRENCY) AND WILL WORK WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO INSURE THAT THE REQUIRED FUNDS ARE INCLUDED IN BADC"S BUDGET. THE FIRST PUMPS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AROUND 2/1/79. PROJECT PERSONNEL WERE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC IN THINKING THAT UNDER THE NEW IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THE BADC COULD ARRANGE FOR THE LOCAL MANUFACTURE OF HANDPUMPS WITHIN FOUR TO SIX MONTHS. A FOLLOW-UP TO THIS PROJECT IS PLANNED, BUT PROJECT PERSONNEL HAVE NO INDICATION OF WHAT THE TOTAL DEMAND FOR HANDPUMPS MAY BE.