FAO predicts higher rice, wheat output
Bangladesh is likely to bag higher boro and wheat crops in 2015 than last year, thanks to increased plantation and higher yields, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said on Friday.
"Adequate water supplies, coupled with overall good input availability including fertiliser, seed as well as power and diesel for irrigation, benefited planting operations and crop development," FAO said in its country report on Bangladesh, referring to boro.
Boro, which is still standing in the fields, is the country's biggest rice crop and accounts for 55 percent of annual rice output. Farmers will start harvesting the crop after the second week of April and complete harvesting by May.
FAO, citing official estimates, said the crop has been planted on 48.3 lakh hectares. The acreage of the current season is above last year's 47.9 lakh hectares, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Considering the small increase in planted areas and assuming slightly higher yields, this season's rice production will be slightly above last year's record boro rice output, the UN agency said.
Farmers harvested 1.9 crore tonnes of boro in 2014, up 1.22 percent from the previous year, according to BBS.
However, FAO said disruptions to the supply of fertilisers and fuel in the northern areas, including Rangpur, due to the ongoing civil protests, may result in crop losses.
The boro output will be good if there is no natural calamity in the run-up to harvesting, said AZM Momtajul Karim, director general of Department of Agricultural Extension.
"Rainfall has facilitated crop development. There was also no shortage of fertiliser and diesel," he said.
Referring to wheat, FAO forecasts that the output will be higher, up to 14.5 lakh tonnes tonnes, during this season.
Last year, wheat production was 13.02 lakh tonnes, according to BBS estimate.
"The increase reflects a slight expansion in plantings and expected higher yields due to favourable weather conditions and adequate input supply.”
DAE DG Karim said wheat acreage rose to 4.81 lakh hectares this season from 4.29 lakh hectares the previous year.
Some 35 percent of the wheat crop has so far been harvested, he said, raising expectations of higher yields per hectare.
FAO also forecast higher wheat imports during the current fiscal year.
Imports may increase to 30 lakh tonnes from last year's 26.9 lakh tonnes, based on high domestic demand and the current expectations that the government will continue to restore stocks for the public distribution programmes.
Wheat import was 26.9 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2013-14, according to data from the food ministry.
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