Economic consequences of structural change and farm development strategies in Bangladesh

The agricultural sector in developing countries like Bangladesh is undergoing a far-reaching structural change, which is driven by over-population, technological change, farming-system change, industrial and service sector development. Generally, Bangladesh agriculture is characterized by the scarcity of land and abundant labor with small-scale farms and low mechanization level. Agricultural land is gradually decreasing and the numbers of small farms are increasing at the expense of a reduction of the number of large farm. Therefore, generated employment opportunities in these small-sized agricultural farms are not sufficient to absorb the expanding labor force in the rural areas. In this situation, a new strategy emerges in rural areas, whereby farmers are engaged in part-time farming. This book provides an overview of structural change in agricultural sector and responsible factors for this change. The impact of part-time farming on farm productivity is also analyzed in this book. The results of these analyses would help to draw up better policies for short-term and long-term agricultural and rural development in Bangladesh.