Population growth and agricultural intensification between 1961 and 1980 in Bangladesh

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between population growth and agricultural intensification in Bangladesh between the periods 1961 and 1980. The various relationships that were investigated are population pressure on land in terms of foodgrain requirements and in terms of cropped area, the relationship between population density and cropping intensity, and relative use of land and labour and the productivity of land and labour. Using regression analyses, it was found that population growth was one of the significant variables in explaining the intensity of cultivation. Using 16 district observations and log linear regression, it was observed that population density explained 61% of the variation in cropping intensity in 1961 and 57% in 1977. It was also found that population pressure on land, both in terms of foodgrain requirements and cropped area, was much more intense in the late seventies than in the early sixties. It was observed that relatively more labour than land was used in the production process in 1980 than in 1961. It was also found that both average and marginal productivity of labour decreased whereas land productivity increased from 1961 to 1977. From these findings it can be observed that the Boserup model of agricultural development has been supported in Bangladesh. Finally, it has been suggested that there exists a scope for further intensification in agricultural production through the use of more fertilizer, irrigation water and high yielding varieties of seeds. Further agricultural intensification will require considerable foresight, planning and development by the people of Bangladesh.