Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess the achievement of livelihood aspirations of farmers oriented towards commercialization of agriculture. Stratified sampling procedure was followed to disaggregate the farming community into subsistence, semi-commercial and commercial farmer groups. A sample of 210 farmers was drawn taking 70 farmers from each. Data were collected by a structured interview schedule from the farmers representating the farming community of Bashtola block of Phulpur upazila under Mymensingh district within the ambit of AEZ-9 during January to June 2011. A number of 13 farmers' characteristics were selected as independent variables. The dependent variable 'achievement of livelihood aspirations' was assessed by computing achievement indices of livelihood goals and then rated against internal standard of excellence as 'poor', 'fair' and 'good'. Significant association and mean value difference was observed between farmer categories and their education, training experience, farm size, family income, extension media contact, organizational participation, cosmopoliteness, knowledge on commercialization and environmental awareness as well as their achievement of livelihood aspirations as determined by chi-square test and DMRT. One half (50.00 percent) of the subsistence farmers conceded poor standard while majorities of semi-commercial (51.43 percent) and commercial (67.14 percent) farmers clinched a good standard of achievement of productivity aspiration. One half (50.00 percent) of the subsistence farmers conceded poor standard while majorities of semi-commercial (42.86 percent) and commercial (62.86 percent) farmers attained at good standard of achievement of access to market-opportunity aspiration. About two third majorities. of the subsistence farmers (70.00 percent) retained at fair standard while a majority of semi-commercial farmers (60.00 percent) attained at good standard and a stunning majority of the commercial farmers (91.43 percent) registered at good standard of achievement of household food security aspiration. One half of the subsistence farmers (50.00 percent) conceded poor standard while a majority of semi- commercial farmers (55.71 percent) maintained a fair standard and an overwhelming majority of commercial farmers (80.00 percent) attained at good standard of achievement of well-being aspiration. A cumulative percentage of 85.70 percent subsistence farmers as well as 80.00 percent commercial farmers conceded poor to fair standard while 92.86 percent of the semi-commercial farmers tended to ascending up from fair to good standard of achievement of sustainable use of farm resource-base aspiration. Achievement polygons were developed for three farmer groups as a necessary tool to visualize variations between achievements and to identify the farming strategy best pursue livelihood aspirations and gratify sustainability needs. The achievements of subsistence farmers were not widely varied but, hardly maintained a fair standard. The achievements of semi-commercial farmers were more balanced maintaining a fair to good standards of achievement. The achievements of commercial farmers were rather stunning; maintained a good standard in all realms of livelihood aspirations except sustainable use of farm resource-base. Commercial farming could be the best suited farming strategy if commercial farmers affirmed their responsiveness to sustainable use of farm resource-base. Step-wise multiple regression analysis was run to determine the actual contribution of selected factors to the dependent variable. Farmers' knowledge on commercial agriculture, farm size and attitude towards commercial agriculture together explained 76.7 percent of the variation in achievement of productivity aspiration. Farmers' extension media contact, knowledge on commercial agriculture, environmental awareness, farm size and attitude towards commercial agriculture together explained 80.6 percent of the variation in achievement of access to market-opportunity aspiration. Farmers' cosmopoliteness, farm size and family income together explained 80.7 percent of the variation in achievement of household food security aspiration. Farmers' cosmopoliteness, farm size, knowledge on commercial agriculture and farming experience together explained 70.40 percent of the variation in achievement of well-being aspiration. Farmers' environmental awareness and training experience together explained 56.70 percent of the variation in achievement of sustainable use of farm resource-base aspiration. In pursuit of commercialization to benefit farmers' livelihoods, commercial farmers need to become more responsive to sustainable use of farm resource-base. Extension providers should look at agriculture for livelihood's sake and promote environment-friendly commercial agriculture for sustainable livelihood.