Staple food highlights

Rice output hits record, farmers not so happy

Cropping 1.91 crore tones of borro rice in last season’s production, farmers helped Bangladesh attain highest yield and self-sufficiency in staple food. Total rice output was 3.47 crore tones in fiscal 2014-15. Farmers however, were not satisfied, since market glut from India increased supply and decreased prices, below production costs. Rice import rose almost 4 times last year, which led the government to put a 10 pc duty on rice. However, Indians decreased their own prices. Rice prices although fell, but are affected now due to recent flooding.

Crops under water

Losses of standing crops feared in Rangpur, Gaibandha

With very little improvement in the flood situation, farmers are living on growing anxiety of huge losses as 1.29 lakh hectares of land have gone under water in 5 districts in the Rangpur region. Crops which remain in flood waters are Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) on 1.25 lakh hectares, Aman seedbed on 205 hectares, vegetables on 3,159 hectares, banana on 83 hectares and ginger on 5 hectares of land.

T-Aman is affected in the areas of Rnagpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in Rangpur, affecting 21.69 % of total T-aman land. Kurigram claims most of