PETRRA is a research project intended to enhance the productive potential of paddy-based farming systems in Bangladesh. The goal of the project is to substantially increase domestic rice production and incomes by 2008 so that it contributes towards a 50% reduction in rural poverty by 2015.

The PETRRA Baseline Survey was undertaken to establish the baseline national values of the income from paddy production by resource-poor and small/marginal farmers. The baseline values would be used in assessing the achievement of the PETRRA towards raising the income from rice production. 

The specific objectives of the study were to provide baseline estimates of:

• income of small and marginal farmers from rice production
• employment opportunities for landless laborers in rice production
• total rice production by resource-poor farmers
• rice production per hectare by resource-poor farmers according to the type of technologies used in (a) irrigated low lands, (b) rain-fed low lands, (c) saline and coastal low lands
• financial returns from rice production per hectare for resource-poor farmers in (a) irrigated low lands, (b) rain-fed low lands, and (c) saline and coastal low lands
• financial returns from work per labor-day in (a) irrigated low lands, (b) rain-fed low lands, and (c) saline and coastal low lands
• use of wage labor in rice production per hectare in (a) irrigated low lands, (b) rain-fed low lands, and (c) saline and coastal low lands; and
• other indicators of interest to be assessed were identified during the course the study design was finalized and the questionnaire prepared.

The baseline estimates covered all rice seasons between Aman 1998 and Boro 2000/01.

Awarded by the IRRI/Dhaka, Bangladesh, the survey was funded by the DFID, Bangladesh.