FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 11/00 - BANGLADESH (6 November)
In late October storms and heavy rainfall again increased the risk of severe flooding, which are reported to have killed 20 people and left several hundred unaccounted for. Earlier, serious floods resulted in several hundred deaths and left thousands of people homeless
The Aus rice crop was affected somewhat by the earlier floods, as a result of which it remains uncertain whether the earlier forecast of 1.75 million tonnes will be met. The Aus crop is mainly planted in April/May for harvest around August. The main crop currently in the ground is the aman/monsoon paddy crop, which is normally planted in June/July for harvest from November. After completion of the Aman harvest the third of the country's rice crop the Boro crop is planted for harvest from April/May. Assuming favourable conditions for next year's Boro crop, milled rice production in 2000/01 is expected to be similar to 22.7 million tonnes in 1999/2000. Of this, around 45 percent each will come from the Aman and Boro crops and 10 percent from Aus rice. In 1999/2000, a combination of an increase in area planted, favourable weather and adequate input supplies, resulted in bumper rice (milled) production of 22.78 million tonnes, some 14 percent above the previous year.
The overall food situation remains satisfactory with adequate government food grain reserves. At the end of September there was a total of 1.17 million tonnes of grain in stocks including some 735 000 tonnes of rice and 439 000 tonnes of wheat in the Public Food Grain Distribution System.
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