Joynal Has Achieved Financial Emancipation by Selling Seeds

Seeds are the critical input for rice production. Producing and preserving seeds is one of the biggest challenges for farmers in Bangladesh. Farmers are reluctant to purchase seeds from the local market as they are expensive. In this regard, ADRA focuses on developing a system where farmers can produce and preserve seeds of their own.

Joynal Abedin is the husband of Amena Begum. Joynal is an indigent farmer living at Nandigram village of Gouripur Upazila in Mymensingh district. His income is too poor to maintain a family comprised of six members.

Since 2019, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) started its intervention through the Community Empowerment Project (CEP) in Nandigram aiming to escalate the livelihood of the left-behind communities. ADRA-led CEP project inaugurated a wide range of Income Generating Activities (IGA) for its beneficiaries so they could opt-in to those activities and obtain financial emancipation. Seed production and storage is one of them.

“Community Empowerment Project (CEP) – Gouripur, Mymensingh is patronizing the local peasant communities by organizing a wide variety of training to develop their skills and capabilities so they can jump on an Income Generating Activity (IGA) and get financial emancipation. Thanks to SMC and ADRA Sweden for helping us to run this wonderful project,” Babul C. Gomes, Regional Coordinator, and Project Manager, CEP said confidently.

Amena Begum (wife of Joynal) became a member of the Community Empowerment Project (CEP) – Gouripur, Mymensingh, and started to keep regular savings deposits to her working group. She participated in various IGA related activities. One day, seed production and storage were discussed in her group and she learned a few basic things.

“I talked about seed production with my husband. We decided to produce and sell seeds, as it would create additional income for our family,” said Amena.

In September 2019, Joynal Abedin received a one-day training on seed production, selection, and preservation from ADRA-led CEP – Gouripur, Mymensingh project office. Joynal received a drum for seed preservation at the end of the training as an incentive gift.

“After accomplishing the training, I’ve started producing seeds and I don’t have to buy any more seeds from the market for cultivation,” said Joynal. “I’ve developed my skills and abilities to produce and store seeds. I use my own seeds for cultivation as well as sell them to other farmers in the village. I’ve sold seeds worth BDT 10,000.00 (ten thousand) in the last Aman and Boro seasons.”

Joynal has created opportunities for additional income for his family by selling seeds. In the current Aman season, he is planning to produce about 1.5-ton seeds including the variety of BRRI-71, BRRI-87, BRRI-34, and BINA-11.

“I always appreciate ADRA’s support to contribute most in creating seed buyers locally. I have been able to transform my life by the support of ADRA-led Community Empower Project (CEP) – Gouripur, Mymensingh,” Joynal showed his gratitude towards ADRA in Bangladesh.