Abstract:

Rice production is a cornerstone of food security and rural incomes in Bangladesh, but seasonal variation in rice production and resource constraints on agriculture are significant challenges to sustained growth of output. This study formulates an LP model to analyze the production trends and resource allocation pattern of three dominant rice cultivation seasons such as Aus, Aman and Boro in the region. The model combines important production resources, such as land, labor, fertilizer and irrigation water to determine the optimal allocation of these resources so that the total rice output can be maximized and a profit-maximum target for each farm could be achieved within limits of available resource supply. Season wise production, area, yield and input use data of the reference period (2018-23) were obtained following secondary sources mostly from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), BRRI (Bangladesh Rice Research Institute) and DAE (Department of Agricultural Extension). Descriptive trend analysis shows that, while Boro rice dominates due to higher productivity and irrigation used for this crop compared to Aus or Aman, the production of Aus and Aman is highly variable driven by rainfall and input constraints. The LP findings show that shifting land and resources to the water rice seasons with relatively higher yield return has a significant positive impact on gross margin without increasing total cropped area. The results emphasize the significance of better usage of resources including water (irrigation water saving), and labor to improve rice productivity. The developed optimization model represents a useful decision-support system for the policy makers and planners to support sustainable rice production and resource productivity in Bangladesh.