Constraints in Aromatic Rice Cultivation: Insights from Smallholder Farmers of Northern Bangladesh

Bangladesh, a South Asian nation renowned for its exclusive fine aromatic rice varieties, has done little to preserve these valuable crops. Traditional aromatic varieties with excellent aroma are nearly extinct. The purpose of this study was to determine farmers’ constraints in aromatic rice production, and to explore the relationship between the selected characteristics of the farmers with their constraints in aromatic rice production. Data were collected using a pre-designed and pre-tested structured interview schedule from a sample of 92 farmers out of 653 farmers selected by a simple random sampling procedure. The data collection was done in Uthrail unions of Sadar Upazila under Dinajpur district. Besides the usual descriptive statistical parameter, Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was used for the statistical analysis. About three-fourths (67.3 percent) of the respondents had faced medium constraints, while 20.7 percent had low constraints and only 12.0 percent had faced high constraints. Among the constraints, “Diseases” (CFI = 270.6) was found to be the first-ranked constraint in aromatic rice production faced by the farmers. The lowest constraints in aromatic rice production faced by the farmers were ‘Erosion’ (CFI = 78.2) among the selected constraints. According to the computed value of correlation coefficients (r), among ten selected characteristics of the farmer’s age, education, family size, farm size, and annual income, had no significant relationship with farmers’ constraints in aromatic rice production. On the other hand, the area under aromatic rice cultivation, agricultural knowledge, extension media contact, training received, and aspiration had a positive significant relationship with farmers’ constraints in aromatic rice production.