FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 04/02 - BANGLADESH (16 April)
Harvesting is underway of the 2002 winter wheat crop planted in November 2001. Despite temperatures higher than normal during the early stages of growth and delayed planting in some areas, subsequent favourable weather benefited crop growth. Presently the outcome of the harvest is estimated at 1.82 million tonnes, marginally below last year.
The irrigated Boro rice crop is gaining in importance and now accounts for about 49 percent of the national rice output. The crop is planted in November through January for harvesting from April. Despite below average rainfall from December 2001 through February 2002, adequate supplies of irrigation water and inputs benefited crop development, and the 2001/02 Boro harvest is expected to exceed the record output of last year. The outcome of the Aus crop harvested in July/August 2001 (accounting for about seven percent of the production) as well as that of the Aman (monsoon) crop harvested in October/December 2001 (about 44 percent of production) was slightly lower than the previous year. Nevertheless, with the expected record Boro crop, total production for 2001/02 is estimated at 26 million tonnes of rice (milled), which is a record.
Due to a marked rise in cereal production in recent years, cereal imports have been declining from a level of 4.2 million tonnes in 1998/99 to 1.7 million tonnes in 2000/01. For the 2001/02 marketing year (July/June) the import requirement is estimated at 1.8 million tonnes (rice 0.4 million tonnes and wheat 1.4 million tonnes). So far, 1.4 million tonnes have been imported, including 0.5 million tonnes of food aid.