Over the past twenty years successive governments in what is now Bangladesh have made major efforts to increase agricultural production through the introduction of high-yielding varieties of paddy (HYVs), fertilisers, pesticides and modern irrigation technology such as low-lift pumps, which take water from rivers and creeks, and deep and shallow tubewells (Hossain & Jones, 1983). Between 1960 and 1980 the area irrigated by modern methods increased from zero to nearly 0.9 million hectares out of a net cropped area of 9 million hectares. The use of chemical fertilisers increased from nothing to over 100 kg per net cropped hectare, and the area under HYVs developed at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) reached over 20% of the total area under foodgrains. Foodgrain production which in the late 1950s averaged 8 million tonnes increased to 13 million tonnes by the late 1970s. Much of the increase was due to the cultivation of IR-8 and BR-3 under irrigation in the dry (bow or rabi) season, though the cultivation of the same varieties later on as an early monsoon (aus or early kharif season) crop, and other varieties such as IR-20 and BR-4 in the late monsoon (aman or late kharif), was also important. In parts of the country, especially in the north and west, wheat cultivation has also increased rapidly since 1975.

Despite the significant success achieved in increasing agricultural production, however, Bangladesh paddy yields and input use are still amongst the lowest in Asia (Jones, 1979). Much more could be done. If full irrigation potential were realised food production could be doubled or trebled.