About the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity:

The USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity (Ag Extension Project) is a key part of Bangladesh Feed the Future (FtF) initiative and first project to be awarded to a national NGO under the USAID Forward “Local Systems Framework”.

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) is the lead implementation agency for the five-year project, with CARE Bangladesh and mPower serving as technical partners. The project began on October 23, 2012 and is scheduled to end on October 22, 2017.

The project aims to enhance access to and utilization of agricultural (ag) extension services by smallholder farmers – both men and women. It is working for building capacities and creating supports to a farmer demand-driven agricultural extension system, synergized by the use of information communication technology (ICT). It helps to foster a farmer demand-driven extension service system and also helps improving access to quality ag inputs and markets along with access to finance.

Project goal:

The goal of the Project is to “Strengthen the existing agriculture extension system in southwest and central Bangladesh to sustainably improve food security and nutrition for smallholder farmers”.

The three components of the project:

Component 1: Enhance access to, and utilization of, agricultural extension services by smallholder farmers (both men and women).

Component 2: Expand and strengthen ICT mechanisms to increase access to agricultural market information, knowledge and technologies.

Component 3: Strengthen capacity of agricultural extension service agents (public and private) to proactively respond to the needs of smallholder farmers, with an emphasis on women.

Project coverage (no. of project beneficiaries):
  • 110,000 farmers
  • 4,000 Farmer Producer Groups (FPGs)
  • 1,000 Extension Agents
Project approaches:
  • Enables smallholder farmers to better access for extension services, ag inputs and ag markets using a “collective action” approach by organizing them into farmer producer groups (FPGs) with each FPG focused on one of six value chains;
  • Introduces information and communications technology (ICT) application and approaches to make ag information available in new ways to extension agents and farmers;
  • Builds the capacity of extension agents, both public and private, to deliver improved extension services;
  • Provides demonstrations of improved ag extension service delivery by supporting 139 Ag Extension Service Centers (AESCs) in 4 upazilas, each serving as a “one-stop shop” for farmers seeking advice and assistance.
Project at a glance:

Project duration: 5 (five years); from October 2012 to October 2017

Financial partners (Donor): USAID

Lead implementing organization: Dhaka Ahsania Mission

Technical partners: CARE Bangladesh and mPower

Project working areas:

The project is working in 12 districts of 3 regions in central and southwest Bangladesh. The three regions are: Jessore, Khulna, and Barisal.

Regions Districts
Jessore Jessore, Magura, Faridpur, Rajbari
Khulna Khulna, Satkhira, Narail
Barisal Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali
The six value chains of the project:
i) Jute ii) Mung bean
iii) Chili iv) Dairy
v) Beef fattening vi) Fish
Project supported beneficiaries and stakeholders
Regions 3
Districts 12
Upazilas 26
Producer Groups 4,000
Farmers 110,000
Extension Agents 1,000
Ag Extension Service Centers (AESCs) 139