Request for Applications (RFA):
Expansion of Mung Bean production in southern Bangladesh
for Feed the Future Bangladesh Rice and Diversified Crops (RDC) Activity

The USAID/Bangladesh Feed the Future (FtF) Rice and Diversified Crops (RDC) activity is designed to catalyse market system changes that promote a diversified farm management approach oriented to intensified rice production and higher-value, nutrient-rich crops to increase incomes and improve food security and nutrition in the Khulna, Barisal, and southern districts of Dhaka divisions of Bangladesh (FtF zone). RDC’s goal is to increase rural incomes by catalysing a process that leads to competitive and inclusive rice-based market systems. RDC aims to facilitate strategic, market system-strengthening interventions to improve rice intensification and diversification.

Mung bean is one of the most important pulse crops and an important source of protein in diets in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 33,000 MT of mung bean were produced on 40,000 hectares of land in 2014-15 in Bangladesh.

The wholesale markets for collection and trade of pulses are well established in the FTF zone but it is dominated by just three processing mill clusters, Kanaipur in Faridpur district, Tekerhat and Char Muguria in Madaripur district, providing little competition amongst buyers. Further millers are heavily dependent on traders to source and purchase mung bean in the quantities, quality and type they require, often resulting in supply not meeting millers’ expectations. Closer ties between farmers, millers, and larger institutional buyers are required to deliver appropriate production advice, seeds and inputs and marketing services. This will allow the millers to ensure the introduction of new seed varieties with a growing market demand (such as BARI Mung-6) and good harvesting techniques that ensure that only mature pods are harvested.

More than 60% of the total mung bean production comes from the Southern region of Bangladesh. However, grain yield compared to potential grain yield as measured in field trials conducted in southern Bangladesh is low. Key factors in low grain yield are thought to be low plant stands resulting from delayed planting, broadcast sowing mung bean, limited use of basal compound fertilizers, poor pest management practices and use of varieties with poor disease resistance. Farmers mostly use retained seeds rather than buying new seed, resulting in farmers planting mixed and diseased seeds. BARI Mung-6 is a high yielding yellow mosaic virus resistant variety that is gaining popularity amongst farmers, but due to lack of awareness and limited availability of seed, the uptake of this variety at farmer level has been slow.

The Feed the Future Bangladesh Rice and Diversified Crops (RDC) seeks applicants to submit innovative proposals for increasing mung bean production through productivity increases in southern Bangladesh. To do this it is considered that mung bean value chain actors (Dal milling companies, input companies, Agri Machinery companies, contract growers, traders, Banks, etc.) should design innovative “mung bean procurement and sales” business model that benefits all actors and yet is profitable enough for the farmer to increase production.

Applications should be submitted via email at info@acdivocardc.org clearly stating the “Application in response to RFA # 11-2018- Mung Bean” in the subject line of email no later than 30th November 2018. The applicants can find an application for funding form at the following link.

* Issuance of this request for applications in no way constitutes a commitment by RDC to execute any agreement or to pay any costs incurred by firms that respond to this request