FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 02/02 - BANGLADESH (1 February)
Normal to slightly above-normal rainfall was registered across the country in the last months of 2001. The main crops presently in the ground are wheat and irrigated “boro” rice crop, the latter accounting for almost 45 percent of total annual rice production.
The overall food situation is satisfactory with adequate government food grain reserves. At the end of November 2001 there was a total of 1.2 million tonnes of grain in the Government’s Public Food Distribution System, including 558 000 tonnes of rice and over 685 000 tonnes of wheat. However, despite the high rice stocks, the Government has decided to ease credit facilities to rice importers to prevent domestic prices from rising in view of uncertain prospects for the “boro” crop.