Editorial
Database plan for farmers
Once it takes off, keep it going
THE plans the government has of introducing a database for farmers should be looked upon as a positive endeavour. That is because of the demands of the times, when modern technology has clearly become a trend in such a significant field as the economy. Besides, the fact that Bangladesh has traditionally been dependent on its agriculture as the mainstay of its economy makes it critically important that all manner of information regarding its various facets as well as its problems and prospects be kept in view. If the government is serious about developing a full-fledged database for farmers as a step toward providing the agriculture sector with inputs and other services, there are certain points which must be looked at first.
By a full-fledged database, we expect that it will cover the entire agriculture sector. That will take time, surely, but what is of importance here is that work on the creation of the database does not stop halfway. All too often, good and encouraging endeavours have been undertaken, only to fizzle out halfway or even before that. We do not wish the old story to be repeated. Indeed, there is a fairly good chance of the plan actually taking off because of the groundwork earlier prepared by the last caretaker government on the issue. A total of 67,00,000 small and marginal farmers were placed on a list in order for them to benefit from cash subsidies necessitated by high irrigation costs. In the event, the caretaker government was able to disburse altogether Tk. 250 crore to nearly 66,00,000 farmers in 2007-2008. Now, that is an achievement by any standard. But read those figures again in juxtaposition with the suspicion that one-fifth of the total money may have fallen into the wrong hands. As a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies has revealed, it all happened because of a faulty list of farmers.
It is thus caution that is called for here as the authorities go into making the database. The need today is a foolproof system that farmers and indeed the entire agricultural sector can be comfortable with. We say this because of the disquieting experience that people have had where an availability of statistics is concerned. A near total unreliability of statistics, supplied as they have been by various bodies, has always stymied a gathering of information in vital areas. From such a perspective, the plan for a database for farmers is surely a good beginning. The more important thought is one of keeping it going, through updating and fine tuning, once it gets under way.
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