Causes and consequences of transformation of rice cultivation into mango orchards: a case of North-Western Bangladesh

Agriculture of Bangladesh is predominated by rice production as almost all fourteen million farm families grow it in three-forth of the total arable land of the country. Apart from contributing to food security, labor-intensive rice production also provides employment to the majority of rural households. Since farmers immensely depend on rice production, any change in crop selection may reshape their livelihood. Hence, the study aims to investigate the causes and consequences of transformation of rice cultivation into mango orchards. Ganguria union of Porsha upazila under Naogaon district was selected for the study. Mixed research methods approach was applied to collect and analyze data. Findings show that the rate of transformation has already covered 58 percent of total arable land of the study area by 2015. The net return from mango farming, lack of irrigation facility and landownership pattern are the most important factors influencing the process. The large and medium farmers are benefited substantially while the transformation process is profoundly altering the nature of smallholder farmers’ and agricultural laborers’ livelihood. The vulnerability of the group tends to be extended for a considerable period of time till the process of transformation completes, and individuals adjust with the modified circumstances.