2023 - Page 2 of 3 - PKSF-Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project (RMTP)

February 13, 2023

Technology changed a life

Mithun (50), a marginal farmer, lives in Arjinaogaon Dakkin Para of Naogaon Sadar Upazila. Despite his age, this workaholic man did not give up on any work.

He has a house and a little fallow land. He could not meet the basic needs of his family members. In his family, there are five members including his wife, son, son’s wife, and grandson. He used to earn money by working on others’ land.

His wife is supportive and inspired him to do something. Mithun’s wife used to raise goats while Mithun cultivate grass in a small area. His son and wife always assisted him in this work.

He has been selected as an RMTP project participant of PKSF through its Partner Organization Dabi Moulik Unnayan Sangstha. He has received technical knowledge of high-value fodder cultivation and marketing through the “Market expansion of safe meat and dairy products” value chain sub-project. He follows all the suggestions, and leased 100 decimals of land. After a month and a half of planting grass, he started selling grass on the nearby farms. He bought two auto charger vans as there are huge demand for grass and the grass business become profitable. He also got acquainted with the meat and dairy farmers of the Naogaon and Bogura districts with the help of the project.

Now he earns BDT 3,600 daily by selling fodder of 100 decimals of leased land. He has purchased two electric tricycles to transport grass to the 60 dairy farms. Now he is a well-known fodder cultivator in his locality. Inspired by Mithun, there are 50 project participants who started the fodder business through the technical, and technological support of the RMTP project.

February 13, 2023

Garol Sheep Farming: Profitable Venture in the Livestock Sector

Ashraf Ali of Kalitala, Sariakandi Upazila, Bogura, retired from a construction company at the age of 60. After retirement, he started some businesses but lost his capital. He broke emotionally. Later, he saw the lucrative possibility of raising Garol Sheep on YouTube and became enthusiastic about Garol rearing.

He said, “I started the farm a year ago with 25 Garols. However, I had no idea about their proper management and disease. As a result, faced a series of problems one after another.” He was identified as an entrepreneur in the Value Chain Development sub-project under the RMTP through its partner organization named Gram Unnayan Karma – GUK. He started raising Garol in a modern system with the support of RMTP project. With proper farm management and support from the services providers, at present, in his farm, a total of 92 Garols. Also, three employees are working in his farm.

This IFAD–funded project is implemented by PKSF through its partner organization, Gram Unnayan Karma (GUK). Through this project, he began modernizing his Garol farming and, with proper farm management as well as support from the services providers, he was able to increase the number of Garols on his farm.

He added, “There is a huge demand for Garol meat in the market as it is delicious. Now, Garol meat is selling at BDT 800 per kg in the market. ”

He participated in the Livestock Exhibition-2022 organized by “District Livestock Office, Bogura” in Sariakandi Upazila to inspire others to keep Garol rearing. Garol became the main attraction at that fair, and he won first place.

Ashraf Ali said, “Female Garol start giving birth at the age of six months. They usually eat all kinds of food like goat or sheep.” After deducting his monthly expenses for running the farm, he earns about BDT 12,000.

Many people are enthusiastic to visit his Garol farm and have set up a Garol farm in this area. Mia, a student from Dhap village in Sariakandi Upazila, said, “I’m rearing Garol in my home beside study. Now, I’m able to provide extra financial support to my parents and bearing my education cost.“

Ashraf Ali said that, he will increase the size of his Garol farm in future, so that he can supply more Garol to the interested Garol farmers.

Osman Gani, a field worker at the Sariakandi Livestock Office, said Ashraf Ali is the pioneer of Garol farming. Following his success many of the local farmers rearing Garol in this area. Through the RMTP project, 70 Garol demonstration farm have been established by 8 Partner Organizations.

February 13, 2023

Cattle hotel in Sirajganj makes a mark

There are 148 livestock markets across the country. These markets (locally called haat) sit twice a week for trading, but they remain open almost every day as traders turn up with their unsold cattle. These cattle are kept in temporary sheds near the markets, or tied up under the open sky. The traders stay around them or in nearby houses for one or two days due to unavailability of hotels in those areas. An innovative initiative by Master Shahidul Islam of Kamarkhand upazila of Sirajganj district is changing all this.

Shahidul has been dealing with cattle for 20 years. He buys cattle from different parts of the country and supplies them to other areas, mainly Sylhet and Chittagong. At one point, he discovered that traders faced a number of challenges when they brought in their cattle to markets, as there was barely any room for safekeeping the cattle and stocking their feed.

This prompted Shahidul, a cattle trader from Sirajganj’s Kamarkhand upazila, to come up with an innovative solution: safe accommodation for both traders and cattle. He established the country’s first ‘Cattle Hotel’ in his neighbourhood in 2020. Initially, the initiative did not gain much traction as the hotel lacked some basic amenities. But things started to turn around when PKSF stepped in. The hotel was refurbished with financial and technical support from Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project, a project jointly funded by PKSF and International Fund for Agricultural Development. The refurbishment included treatment facilities for animals, installation of weight machines, improved drainage system, lighting and ventilation management, and heat reduction management. PKSF’s partner organisation National Development Programme-NDP is implementing the project in Kamarkhand. At present, cattle and traders are getting various services under the same roof.

Now the hotel, located adjacent to the Baradhul haat in Baradhul village of Kamarkhand upazila, is accommodating 10 traders and 150 cattle on average every day. A trader has to pay BDT 150 for himself and BDT 50 for each cattle for a night’s stay. While this ‘cattle hotel’ has solved the area’s age-old problem of accommodation of livestock animals and traders, it has also enhanced Shahidul’s income.

On an average day, he earns about BDT 9,000 from the hotel. Shahidul is currently looking for more land to expand his business. Meanwhile, having seen its potential for fast growth, a number of locals have already replicated his model and set up their own ‘cattle hotel’.

Rural Micro Enterprise Transformation Project (RMTP) is working to extend the financial services of microenterprises as well as to improve the income, food security, and nutrition status of small and marginal farmers, entrepreneurs, and other market actors involved in the value chains of selected high-value agricultural products. The project is implementing value chain development activities across the country to expand the markets for comparative advantage, market demand, and growth of agro-based products.

February 13, 2023

Success in commercial production of silage

Md Rubel Hossain is a 25-year-old youth of Betua village at Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj district. Born and raised in a family ruled by, above anything else, excruciating poverty, Rubel could not afford to continue his studies after the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) examinations. Now driven by a dire need to support his family, he was feeling even worse as he could not find a sustainable source of income

Rubel, already having access to internet, would watch videos on Facebook and YouTube on various micro and small enterprises. These videos inspired him to pursue an agricultural initiative but he would not see success. Rubel underwent training in fodder crop cultivation through the Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project (RMTP), which is implemented by the National Development Program (NDP) – a local Partner Organization of PKSF, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

He gained knowledge about modern ways of producing and marketing silage (green fodder compacted and stored in airtight conditions). “After the training, I cultivated five types of grass on two acres of land. Also, I received a grant of BDT 15,000 from the project. I used the money to buy a vacuum machine and started producing silage,” said Rubel, adding that his business was immediately off to a promising start. Subsequently, Rubel obtained a trade license to start a company called ‘RP Agro Silage’.

He also opened a Facebook page to promote his product, resulting in a tremendously well response from buyers even from distant places like Pabna, Barisal and Dhaka. At present, he produces and sells over 15 tonnes of silage per month to earn a net profit of around BDT 100000. Currently, Rubel is training local farmers on growing fodder in fallow land.

Following Rubel’s success, Sirajganj district Livestock Officer visited the fodder cultivation plot and silage plant, which was then subsequently visited by farmers from other areas to learn about silage production.

Rubel expressed his ambition to expand the business, including establishing a contract farming system with fodder farmers to supply fodder to his silage plant, testing silage quality at a government lab, and obtaining BSTI certification from the Bangladesh government, as well as printing sacks bearing his company’s brand name, trademark and details.

January 21, 2023

‘RMTP Badsha’ Goes Viral on Social Media During Eid-ul-Azha

Saiful Islam, inhabitant of Dhakaya Para village in Auliapur union of sadar upazila in Thakurgaon district, bought ‘RMTP Badsha‘ heifer after training on cow rearing in 2021 through “Market Expansion of Safe Meat and Dairy Products“ value chain sub–project of IFAD and PKSF–funded Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project (RMTP) implemented by ESDO.

Saiful stated, “I did not use any unsafe medicine to fatten ‘RMTP Badsha‘, Instead, I fed the animal safe food including Hay, Molasses, Grain, Wheat Shell, Corn, and Rice Husk.”

North Bengal‘s finest bull ‘RMTP Badsha‘ has been prepared to sacrifice for Eid–ul–Azha after one year and two months of nurturing. The age of the cow is two years and six months, weight 1,200 kg and standing 10 feet long and 6 feet high. ‘RMTP Badsha‘ holds a price of Taka 12 lakh, drawing in people from different classes and professions to his house everyday to see the bull.

Saiful Islam stated, “I borrowed 2.5 lakh BDT in 2021 from ESDO for cow fattening and started a farm. Now, there are eight bulls at my farm, and ‘RMTP Badsha‘ is the best of them all.”

Under the livestock sector, the RMTP project is supporting 200,468 households through farm mechanization, technology transfer, certification, branding, and marketing.

Details in the news link:

https://cutt.ly/qLihhld

https://cutt.ly/OLihE03

By Sajal Dhali

January 4, 2023

Signing of MoU for the Expansion of Artificial Insemination Services for Buffalo, Sheep, and Goats

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to increase milk and meat production by providing artificial insemination services for buffaloes, sheep, and goats across the country. The MoU was signed by representatives from the Palli Karma–Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and the BRAC Artificial Insemination Enterprise in Dhaka.

Under the agreement, the project will establish a supply chain network of quality frozen semen in 185 unions of 36 Upazilas, with the goal of enhancing animal productivity and reproductive capacity by providing artificial insemination services for livestock farmers.

At the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing event, the Assistant General Manager of the Programme of (PKSF), Mr. Habibur Rahman, the Sector Value Chain Specialist, Dr. ASM Niaz Mahmood, the Deputy General Manager of BRAC, Dr. Farukhul Islam, and representatives from eight Partner Organizations of PKSF were present.

Habibur Rahman stated at the meeting that PKSF is collaborating with the government to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Their main objective is to ensure safe and nutritious food and eradicate poverty. The Rural Micro Enterprise Transformation Project (RMTP) aims to extend the financial services of microenterprises to increase the income, food security, and nutrition status of marginal farmers, entrepreneurs, and other market actors involved in value chain interventions of agricultural products. He also mentioned that BRAC Artificial Insemination Enterprise may play a significant role in the dairy and meat production sector across the country by offering high–quality frozen buffalo, sheep, and goat semen at a reasonable price.

January 4, 2023

PKSF Launches ‘RMTP-Project’ to Boost Microenterprise Sector

As a major boost to Bangladesh’s microenterprise sector, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), an apex development agency of the country, has floated a new project titled ‘Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project (RMTP)’. The six-year project, jointly financed by PKSF, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), was launched on 23 August 2020.

Mr Md Ashadul Islam, Senior Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance was the Chief Guest at the RMTP’s virtual launching ceremony presided over by PKSF Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad. Mr Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, Managing Director of PKSF, delivered the welcome remarks, and Deputy Managing Director Mr Md Fazlul Kader presented on the different aspects of the project. HE Ms Winnie Estrup Petersen, Ambassador of the Royal Danish Embassy to Bangladesh, and IFAD’s Country Director Mr Omer Zafar attended the meeting as the Guests of Honor. Besides, members of PKSF’s Governing Body and officials of PKSF and its Partner Organizations (POs) exchanged views at the event where they stressed on the need for proper implementation of the project for effective expansion of the country’s microenterprise sector.

Describing the RMTP as a time-befitting project, Senior Secretary Mr Md Ashadul Islam said that development of microenterprises is crucial for the country’s overall economy. Ensuring adequate financing for marginal producers and micro-entrepreneurs is a big challenge and this project, which goes in line with the government’s development strategy, will help address this challenge, he commented. Terming PKSF ‘an iconic institution’ in development operations in Bangladesh, the Senior Secretary said PKSF’s POs have proven efficiency in implementing similar projects like the RMTP. He also hoped that this project will help ensure sustainable expansion of marginal microenterprises.

Highlighting Denmark’s experience in working in Bangladesh as a development partner, Danish Ambassador Ms Winnie Estrup Petersen said supporting small farmers to increase agricultural productivity and output have positive impacts on household income growth, poverty reduction and food security. “The RMTP supports marginal and small farmers, farmer groups, micro-entrepreneurs and agri-businesses to improve their operation and develop commercially beneficial linkages within selective commodity value chains. The RMTP will combine financial and non-financial services to create the best possible impact to enhance incomes and reduce poverty,” she noted.

Mr Omer Zafar, Country Director of IFAD said, “IFAD is delighted to invest in this project with its trusted partners PKSF and DANIDA. The RMTP will strengthen the rural microenterprise sector by applying a value chain approach bringing together all actors – micro-entrepreneurs, input suppliers, technical services, microfinance institutions, non-banking financial institutions, agribusinesses, processors, wholesalers and retailers. Investments will focus on nutritious high value horticulture, livestock, and aquaculture commodities complying with food quality and safety standards, as well as non-farm products and services. A transactional and informational digital platform will also be developed to seamlessly link supply chain stakeholders. The RMTP will generate multiple social, nutritional, financial, economic and institutional benefits for some 450,000 microenterprises representing two million rural women, men and youth, and will create productive jobs for many more.”

PKSF Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said that Bangladesh’s economy is still largely rural and agriculture-based, and 80 percent people are working in the informal sector. To transform this, appropriate financing along with technology transfer, training, market expansion, and forward and backward linkages are required, he commented. The eminent economist further said that the rural people won’t need to migrate elsewhere for work if appropriate employment opportunities through microenterprises can be generated in their areas. Referring to the March 7 speech of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Dr QK Ahmad said PKSF’s operations in the grassroots are helping ensure the socio-economic emancipation of people as enunciated in the historic speech. He thanked the IFAD and the DANIDA for financing the project.

In the welcome speech, PKSF Managing Director Mr Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah said that PKSF has been implementing the Microenterprise Program since 2001 as one of its core programs to expedite poverty reduction by creating self and wage employments. He remarked that the RMTP would accelerate poverty alleviation by expanding microenterprise activities in the agricultural sector. Along with financial services, the project will provide various technical and technological support to micro-entrepreneurs, he noted.

In his presentation on the new project, PKSF Deputy Managing Director Mr Md Fazlul Kader said that value chain development, financial services, and institutional capacity development support will be provided for the promotion of agricultural products under three major farm sectors — livestock and poultry, crops and horticulture, and fisheries and aquaculture. He informed that the total fund of the project, which will directly benefit 0.45 million micro-entrepreneurs across the country, stands at $200 million, in which IFAD’s contribution is $81 million and DANIDA will provide $8.30 million. PKSF, its POs concerned, non-bank financial institutions, entrepreneurs and private sector organizations will join hands to accumulate the rest of the fund. This new project will use different innovative technologies to further widen the scope of agricultural activities. Apart from initiating farming activities based on Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the project will adopt Blockchain technology to ensure more transparency in the management of financial services. A crowdfunding platform will be launched to create opportunities for equity financing for the microenterprises, he informed.

Mr Kader also highlighted the project’s key focus areas which include production and market expansion of safe agricultural produce and improvement of the nutritional status of the producers and the consumers alike. The project will provide support for the production of agro-products in compliance with the Global Good Agricultural Practices (GGAP) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) protocols. Traceability and certification of agricultural products will be introduced for the branding of agricultural products. Cultivation of different high-value fruits and crops such as avocado, mangosteen, dragon fruit, coffee beans, Barhi dates, hazelnut, cashew nut etc will be introduced to increase productivity and income of the farmers.

Prior to the RMTP, PKSF undertook four projects with the financial support of IFAD — Microfinance and Technical Support Project (MFTSP), Microfinance for Marginal and Small Farmers Project (MFMSFP), Finance for Enterprise Development and Employment Creation (FEDEC) and the ongoing Promoting Agricultural Commercialization and Enterprises (PACE) project.

Participating in the discussion, the representatives of PKSF’s POs expressed their enthusiasm to implement the RMTP under the supervision of PKSF. They mentioned that they were fully capable of attaining the goal and objectives of the RMTP, as they already had substantial experience in taking part in the implementation of previous projects such as PACE. Lauding PKSF’s transparent and efficient management in project implementation, they expressed their hope that the POs, guided by PKSF, will be able to implement all field activities smoothly of this multi-faceted project for microenterprise development that includes financial services, business cluster-based value chain development, innovative technologies like blockchain, e-commerce, crowdfunding platform, branding, market expansion, traceability and certification of the products of microenterprises.

January 4, 2023

ToT on GGAP and HACCP organized

PKSF, IFAD and DANIDA supported Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project (RMTP) is going to introduce Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) protocols in agricultural productions and agro-processing to promote safe and nutritious food in the country. Trained experts need to be developed to attain this objective. In this regard, The Training of the Trainers course was organised on 8-10 May 2022 at ESDO training centre, Dhaka on the said topics.

The Training of the Trainers course discussed general concepts, protocols, and certification processes regarding GGAP and HACCP. The course emphasized ensuring safe and nutritious agro-products for the consumption of people and expanding their demands in national and international markets. Globally accepted certification is a must to export agro products in international markets.

In his inaugural speech, the Project Coordinator of RMTP Dr Akond Md. Rafiqul Islam, Senior General Manager (Programme), PKSF informed that RMTP is intervening in the value chains of high-value agricultural commodities of three major sectors viz. livestock & poultry, crops & horticulture, and fisheries & aquaculture. RMTP would focus on ensuring safe agro-products for the greater interest of protecting human health, which requires following internationally accepted production and processing procedures like GGAP and HACCP.

A total of 20 participants from different partner organizations of PKSF, universities, and service providing organizations participated in the Training of the Trainers course. Dr Arif Mahmud and Ms Basetsana Thabane GGAP and HACCP specialists conducted the sessions in the training course.

January 3, 2023

MoU Signing on farm mechanization and modernization of the processing sector

A memorandum of understanding was signed in Dhaka on Saturday between the eight POs of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and Trade Global Limited for increasing the production of animal products and reducing production costs to make it a profitable sector. The main objective of the agreement is to transform the related businesses into profitable businesses through the development of sales and service centers in 36 Upazilas of 12 districts in the area of PKSF’s Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project (RMTP) through the modernization of the farm mechanization, dairy and meat processing sector at the village level.

At the MoU signing event, Dr. SM Niaz Mahmud, Sector Value Chain Specialist (Livestock) of PKSF, Managing Director of Trade Global Limited Golam Rabbani and Executive Director Mr. AQM Shafiqur Rauf, and the Executive Heads of eight POs of PKSF.

SM Niaz Mahmood said at the meeting that we are collaborating with the government to address the SDGs’. Our main goal is to ensure safe and nutritious food and eradicate poverty. Rural Micro Enterprise Transformation Project (RMTP) aims to extend the financial services of microenterprises to increase the income, food security, and nutrition status of marginal farmers, entrepreneurs, and other market actors involved in value chain interventions of agricultural products. And with this initiative, Trade Global Limited will provide modern technology products for farm mechanization at affordable prices to small entrepreneurs.

RMTP project is implementing eight value chain sub-projects on “Market system development of safe meat and dairy products” in the livestock sector.