Program Successes: Enterprise Development

• Food grains: Production of rice and wheat reached nearly 40 million metric tons, more than double the level of production twenty-five years ago. This is due in part to USAID’s investments in agricultural research, rural infrastructure, and more market-oriented policies.
  
  
• Vegetable gardens and nurseries: Since 1990, USAID’s home gardening program has helped establish over 10,000 new private nurseries and 1.1 million year-round, homestead gardens.  These provide poor, rural households with an additional source of income and nutritious food.
  
  
• Low-cost fish ponds: Since 1990, almost 190,000 low-cost, higher yielding fish ponds have been established through a USAID activity which disseminates new technologies. It is estimated that for each new pond established with project assistance, there may be as many as 5 additional pond operators who adopt improved management practices.
  
  High-value agricultural produce: USAID has helped put Bangladesh's number two export, shrimp (over $300 million annually) on a much firmer footing in international market by launching the ‘Seal of Quality’ program.  The program responds to emerging global standards in food safety, environment, labor, and human rights.  USAID has introduced and strengthened hygienic processing practices and has promoted environmentally friendly freshwater shrimp species.
  
  
• Financial market reform: To help financial markets respond better to market forces, USAID, together with the World Bank and other donors, assisted the government of Bangladesh in removing all but one of the interest rate ceilings on loans and deposits.