Netrakona Integrated Agricultural Production and Water Management Project

The project worked to improve the living conditions and food security of small and marginal farmers, people with little or no land and women with homestead plots. The project focused on:

• agricultural development support, providing support for adaptive research trials, farmer demonstrations, training and extension events
• polder rehabilitation and management, supporting the rehabilitation of five flood control polder schemes
• rural infrastructure development, providing support for improving 100 km of rural roads and the construction of local government offices, small markets, boat landing stages, community centres and training centres
• pilot credit delivery system, supporting creation of a revolving loan fund to NGOs for lending to landless people, and a risk fund to extend credit to marginal and small farmers

During the project, the area used for growing vegetables increased by 186 per cent. A total of 2,100 extension groups were formed, each consisting of about 20 farmers and including 200 women's homestead groups. In addition, all planned infrastructure activities were carried out. The project's revolving loan fund helped to provide credit to 15,000 participants.

Source: IFAD