Projects
Agribusiness Project
ASA initiated this program to provide support to the potential entrepreneurs and traders of agro-products and farmers. The organization has been operating the program since 2007. The emphasis is concentrated on providing credit facilities, enhancing capacity, assisting to create market linkage, and offering technical support to the country’s small and medium agro-entrepreneurs, traders, and farmers.
Over the years, Agribusiness Program has been extending credit, imparting training on livestock, fisheries, and high–value crops to the targeted clients. Furthermore, they helped in marketing their products with special attention to the women entrepreneurs. Steps have been taken to support in organizing agro fares and exhibitions and helping the target groups to display their products to the buyers and consumers creating an opportunity for selling products without the intervention of the middleman.18,28,560 Clients were provided loans amounting to BDT 9,862 crore (USD 1,164Million) and 8338 Entrepreneurs and farmers were trained up to December 2021.
Vermicompost Project
This program was launched in March 2014 under the Agribusiness Program of ASA to regain soil quality without overuse of chemical fertilizer and to adopt measures for making the environment pollution-free through increased use of compost manure in agriculture. Under the program, Vermicompost farms cum outlets were established in various places across the country. These farms produce Vermicompost and distribute compost manure to the farmers at a subsidized price. To make the farmers aware of the importance of Vermicompost workshops, training sessions, and demonstrations were organized at the grassroots level up to December 2021. People especially the young were encouraged to open Vermicompost farms by offering flexible credit facilities and knowledge support. The initiatives have been benefiting users in creating unemployment and keeping the environment free from further degradation. Since its inception, 335 metric tons of Vermicompost were produced and distributed among the farmers at a subsidized price up to the end of December 2021.
Power Tiller Loan Program
ASA initiated Power Tiller Loan Program in 2014 to facilitate overall agriculture development of the country by increasing Agri-production with the help of modern technology and equipment. Small, medium, marginal farmers and traders of Agri-machineries are offered this loan at a reduced service charge. Our country is still lagging in Agri production compared to other countries of the world due to the dominating practice of traditional cultivation methods. This program aims to increase the use of machines in farming by providing financial services to small farmers and traders.
Up to the end of December 2021, an amount of BDT 1,6048 Crore (USD 1,894 million) was disbursed as Power Tiller Loan among 2,12,940 cultivators and traders across the country.
Mushroom Cultivation Program
ASA launched the Mushroom Cultivation program in 2015. The program has undertaken to increase mushroom production amid utilizing abandoned land, household spaces and thereby generate jobs for the unemployed youths. Edible mushrooms have many herbal and nutrient qualities that keep the human body safe and healthy by preventing various diseases. Despite having unique herbal features, people of our country are not accustomed to using mushrooms as a vegetable like other common ones. The production and consumption of mushrooms in Bangladesh are very insignificant.
Considering both the economic and health aspect of mushrooms, ASA started cultivating them on Rangamati, Khagrachari, Cox,sbazar, Jessore, Pabna, and Magura. The output of these farms is being sold in the kitchen markets of Dhaka city and the adjacent urban areas. The program has set up 80 more mushroom farms and 8 outlets in different districts up to December 2021.
Project on Dairy Farms
ASA took an initiative in 2015 for setting up Dairy farms in every village of the country. This was meant to create and develop entrepreneurship among the poor and marginal group, enhance the production of dairy products, make available animal protein, diversify microfinance products, and consolidate the means of poverty alleviation. Up to the end of December 2021, under the project, an amount of BDT 1,888 Crore (USD 222.9 million) was disbursed as a Loan among 1,77,670 dairy Farmers across the country.
SMAP Project
ASA initiated the program to provide technical and financial support to Small and Marginal Farmers in 2015 under a tripartite agreement among ASA, Bangladesh Bank, and JICA. Over the years this program has achieved a milestone success in assisting small and Marginal farmers by boosting agro-products as well as improving their livelihoods. ASA provided a loan amount of BDT 568 Crore (USD 67.06 million) to 92,957 Small and Marginal Farmers and offered technical and knowledge support.
Biogas Project
ASA initiates a Bio-Gas planting program to reduce pollution by reducing the emission of methane gas from cow dung. Biogas project is being implemented through the cycle of Livestock farm→ Biogas → Vermicompost. Up to December-2021. A number of 71 Bio-Gas plants were set up in the households of ASA members living in various areas of the country predominately Haor, Char-Land, and Hilly areas. ASA members in different districts basically Haor, Char land, and Hilly area.
ASA Fisheries Program
People of Bangladesh are popularly referred to as “Mache Bhate Bangali” or “Fish and Rice make a Bangali”.
Fish is the second most valuable agricultural crop in Bangladesh, playing a crucial role in the livelihoods and employment of millions of people. Fisheries sector contributes 3.52 percent to the national GDP and more than one-fourth to the total agricultural GDP. Fish and fisheries products contribute 1.39 percent to total export earnings, (BER,2020). More than 12% of the population including women are directly or indirectly engaged in various activities under the fisheries sector for their livelihood.
ASA has introduced Fisheries Program with a view to providing support to the potential fisheries entrepreneurs, fish traders fish, and crab farmers to excel in their business. ASA’s Fisheries Program supports small, marginal farmers and especially the young in involving fish and crab farming business for gaining self-employment. This program has also aims of meeting protein demand, creating skills for farmers increase fish production, etc. ASA’s Fisheries Program offers financial and technical support to the fish and crab farmers/cultivators and entrepreneurs. Besides training, workshops, seminars, etc. were arranged for the fish cultivators. ASA also supports entrepreneurs/farmers involving modern technology fish production such as bio-floc method, RAS method, cage aquaculture, rice-fish culture, ornamental fish culture in an aquarium, etc.
Fisheries program supports crab farmers of the coastal areas with loans and technical assistance to flourish crab cultivations for socio-economic develop and poverty reduction.
ASA provided loans amounting to BDT 1143 crore to 200185 farmers during FY 2020-21 and disbursed loans BDT 3.64 crore to 684 crab cultivators. Training on fish and crab culture & management were imparted to 7552 cultivators.