AAPI Encourages Gender Equity by Training Couples to Farm Together

Written March 2012

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Dipalee and Tusher Kithnia now make joint decisions regarding their tomato crop.

AAPI is training farmer couples on the use of fertilizer deep placement (FDP) in vegetable cultivation. IFDC believes capacity building and understanding of a technology by the family members in their own context is crucial.

Dipalee and Tusher Kithnia of Ragunathpur in Gopalganj, Bangladesh, received training together from the AAPI staff and found it to be a rewarding experience. They established a tomato demonstration plot on 10 decimals of land (1 decimal is equal to 0.01 acre or 0.004047 hectare). They used the FDP methodology on 5 decimals and used the traditional method of broadcasting prilled urea on the other 5 decimals. They planted the Delta Hybrid variety of tomatoes. They harvested 54.67 metric tons/hectare (mt/ha) from the FDP plot and 46.70 mt/ha from the prilled urea plot. The difference in yield between the two plots is 7.95 mt/ha. The couple earned Taka (Tk) 40,540 (US $497) from the 10 decimals of land and expected to harvest two to three more times during the year. Their observations included:

  • The FDP plot gave higher yield with high-quality tomatoes.
  • The joint training has led them to decide together to continue using the FDP technology.
  • Sequential earning helped them solve immediate family needs.