Bangladesh is an agricultural country. Livelihoods of most of the people of Bangladesh are being maintained based on the agricultural activities directly and/or on agro-based business. People involved in agriculture have not sufficient money at their hands as well as savings in order to invest on agriculture for seasonal cultivation of crops and they have lack of capital for agro-based business. In view of minimizing the gap for capital and for keeping the agriciultural productions continued, DISA runs the Agriculture Sector Microfinance (ASM) program to provide loan in three sectors: a) agriculture loan b) Non-agriculture, and c) agriculture product purchase.

Dairy & Livestock Development Program

Bangladesh lies within the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta- the world‘s largest, most densely populated and one of the richest in aquatic resources. Expansion of dairy and meat production, processing, value addition, marketing and consumption can offer an important pathway to sustainable economic development and future poverty alleviation opportunities in Bangladesh. The Dairy and Livestock Development Project (DLDP) of DISA will stimulate the growth and enable a sustainable, inclusive and safe development of livestock value chains in Bangladesh. It will also address some upcoming issues of the livestock sector such as food safety, environmental pollution and climate change, and animal welfare. DISA supports marginalized farmers through funding, treatment and rearing local/hybrid cows and bulls under its livestock programme. Rearing cows have a tendency to selling milk at bulk quantity, keeping family consumption portion, early paying off the credit with interest, and getting cow as well as the calf(s) ownership as the assets for the household. Purchase and rear the young bulls, fattened them with appropriate care, so that bulls are sold at higher prices, particularly at the eve of Eid-ul-Adha Festival as a sacrificial animal. Bulls rearing in this way means earning a good amount of money, after paying back the credit amount with interest at one time. DISA provides loans to borrowers for purchasing the dairy cattle and keeps 5% as insurance premium which covers the sudden death of dairy cattle for up-to one year. Within a short period, the borrowers can easily repay the loan and become owners of cattle with calf(s) by selling milk. In these ways, they uplift their social status and lifestyle through cattle rearing. DLDP provides training and demonstration for knowledge dissemination, medical care, guidance for balanced feeding, day-to-day care, and insurance support.

Sadadal

Farmers Organization named Sadadal is a grass-root level livestock organization comprised with and for farmers. Sadadal organization is working at Chandina Upazila of Cumilla district. Each Sadadal is comprised with at least 20 members and having a leader.

Mission

Through integrated approach with rural production of diversified raw materials processed in high quality machineries, the project will contribute to meet local market demand in cases of attaining the capacity of surplus production, it may help earning foreign currency through export abroad. Accordingly targets will align to:

• Offering quality products with appropriate nutrition value;
• Establishing economic tie between urban and rural population;
• Participate in offering change in the life-style of the people; and
• Contribute to national economy significantly.

Vision

To cater to the huge national demand, the project aims at undertaking activities of livestock development based on DISA’s own experience, processing of dairy foods, beverages giving preference to the food habit of the local people through using improved and up-to-date technology to ensure:

• Catering national demand for the dairy line products as a priority;
• Preference to the best possible quality and taste of the people;
• Offering variety in the daily diet;
• Prioritizing Consumers’ Satisfaction and Health & Nutrition Needs; and
• Increase in the income of the poor families through diversifying opportunities.