Boro yield to provide some respite
Farmers are expected to bag an increased amount of boro paddy this harvesting season because of favourable weather and low pest infestation, a development that may offer some breathing room to the country now reeling under coronavirus-induced uncertainty.
The yield of the largest crop will probably edge up 0.51 per cent year-on-year to at least one 1.95 crore tonnes in the current harvesting season, the united states Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a written report on Bangladesh released on Monday.
"Farmers, although worried about a labour shortage during harvest, believe this year's crop offers benefitted from favourable weather and no major pest or disease infestations," it said.
The prediction comes as farmers in the northeast and northwest regions, two major boro making zones in the united states, are harvesting the paddy, which makes up about over fifty percent of the total total annual rice production.
The report cited government initiatives to aid farmers through the pandemic and said labour, transportation, storage and processing costs are anticipated to rise therefore of COVID-19.
The agency forecasted that overall rice production may well increase 1.4 % to 3.63 crore tonnes on the assumption of normal climate and higher yield in the May-April amount of 2020-21 from 3.58 crore tonnes in the previous year.
The USDA predicted wider utilization of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) and hybrid seeds in the marketing year of 2020-21 that stretches from May to April.
"You will find a growing preference for HYVs and hybrid seeds because of higher yields."
THE UNITED STATES agency also predicted that Bangladesh's rice import would increase to 200,000 tonnes in fiscal 2020-21 to meet up the additional demand caused by the pandemic.
Import of wheat, the next most consumed grain after rice, can be forecasted to rise to 64 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2020-21 from 63 lakh tonnes in the outgoing fiscal year.
Wheat use might continue to rise in diversified bakery items and processed foods amid growing consumer demand for wheat-based products and low international prices, according to the report.
The agency said wheat acreage may increase to 3.50 lakh hectares within the next marketing year of May-April from 3.40 lakh hectares in the outgoing year.
"Some farmers are anticipated to plant wheat instead of corn on expectations of higher income and reduced contact with wheat blast, a fungal disease that impacted Bangladesh's wheat harvest two years ago," explained the USDA report.
Wheat production will probably increase to 12.5 lakh tonnes in the next time riding on favourable climate.
The growers will bag 12 lakh tonnes of wheat, which is harvested in April, through the outgoing year of 2019-20.
"Farmers possess expressed optimism relating to this year's crop, stating that wheat blast had not been as big of a problem this year in accordance with the prior crops," the united states agency said.
