Tk 626 cr Danish grant for dev in agri sector

An agreement to this effect was signed here yesterday on the Agriculture Sector Programme Support Phase II (ASPS) under the Danish government's development assistance to the agriculture sector of Bangladesh.

ERD Secretary Md Ismail Zabihullah and Danish Ambassador to

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Bangladesh Einar Hebogaard Jensen signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

The main objective of ASPS II is to improve the living conditions of the marginal and small farmers through enhanced, integrated and sustainable agricultural productivity.

The ASPS II address key strategic issues such as capacity development at the grassroots, district and national levels, focusing on a result-oriented and on-the-job training approach, promoting local government and decentralisation in agriculture, fisheries and livestock development and promotion of farmers organisation.

It is expected that at the end of ASPS II, at least 700,000 households would have been trained and increased their incomes from crops production by a minimum of 30 percent, poor households would have doubled their yield from fishery and livestock and at least 2.3 million labour days be generated in road works.

In ASPS I, more than 7,800 community-based organisations have been formed as Integrated Pest Management clubs with 200,000 members.

Nearly 500,000 people, mostly women, were employed in aquaculture and poultry sectors.