Socio-Economic Status of Wheat Growers in Some Selected Areas of Bangladesh

Abstract

Aims: The study was carried out to determine the socio-economic status of wheat farmers in Bangladesh. Study Design: Simple random sampling technique was used for the study. Place and Duration of the Study: Birganj Upazila under Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Sadar, and Pirganj Upazila under Thakurgaon district were purposively selected for the study. The survey was conducted from February to March 2019. Methodology: A total of 150 wheat growers were selected as sample farmers. Data were collected from the respondents through direct interviews using pre-tested interview schedules. Descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency, and percentage were employed to analyze the data. Results: The study estimated that the average farm size was 1.38 ha, and most of them were medium farmers (40 percent). Most of the wheat growers were middle-aged (51–60 years old), while a small portion of them were younger (18–30 years). Findings revealed that about 35.3 percent of farmers were literate, while 34.7 percent completed secondary education. The average family size was 4.96 persons. However, the large farm household had relatively more family members than other farm households. Most of the respondents had more than 30 years of farming experience. Nevertheless, agriculture, notably wheat farming, was their primary occupation (92 percent), and about 70.67 percent of their average yearly income came from agriculture. Furthermore, the study found that only a small percentage of farmers obtained training from the government's agricultural extension office, while most farmers did not receive any training opportunities. In this study, about 53.33% of respondents received loans from banks or NGOs, whereas around 46.67% received no credit. Conclusion: Therefore, the government should provide more institutional and infrastructure support to promote wheat production, which will increase efficiency, income and enhance the livelihood conditions of wheat farmers in the study areas.