The coverage of Aman cultivation shrunk significantly this season due to the double blow of flash flooding in the southeast region of the country and a drought-like situation in the northwest, raising concerns over the country's food security.
Standing plants on 0.3 million hectares of land have already been washed away while transplantation on 0.1 million hectares of land became uncertain for a shortage of seedlings, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The farmers brought 5.4 million hectares of land under Aman farming until the first week of September last year, but the coverage is 5.2 million hectares so far this year. Plantation would continue until the third week of this month.
Aman shares more than one-third or 35-36 per cent of the country's total rice production.
The standing plants of 0.3 million hectares of land have been washed away due to the flash flood caused by opening the sluice gates of the Indian dams in the upstream, said an official at the field service wing of the DAE.
After achieving an all-time high Aman production of 16.65 million tonnes last year, this season is unlikely to reach the record output level, he said.
Agronomist at the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Prof Dr Md Moshiur Rahman said both flooding and drought at a time in different regions have affected the cultivation this year.
He said the recent flooding in the southeast has already damaged standing Aman plants and its seed-beds on 0.3 million hectares.
Another 0.1 million hectares was ready for transplantation with a high yielding variety of Aman but has now become uncertain for water logging in the fields as well as shortage of inputs. Late transplantation might shrink output, he added.
Dr Rahman said the northern and northwest regions have been witnessing a drought-like condition for the last one month. More than 60 per cent of the farmers had to spend additional money for supplementary irrigation, causing a surge in production costs.
Lack of necessary irrigation facilities in many areas forced the farmers to go for early winter vegetable farming that needs less water, he said.
DAE deputy director in Feni Md Ekram Uddin told the FE that the district has a target to bring 66,000 hectares of land under Aman farming, but achieved less than half of the target or 32,000 hectares so far.
He said hundreds of farmers are trying to transplant again but were facing a shortage of seedlings.
Many organisations and individuals along with the extension offices were sourcing seedlings from different districts and supplying to the farmers of the affected areas.
"Despite all efforts, we could hardly recover 25 per cent of the Aman crop in the district," said Mr Ekram.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) secretary Md Humayuin Kabir Bhuiyan said that millers have raised rice prices exorbitantly by Tk 5.0-6.0 a kg on excuse of political turmoil and flood in the last one and half months.
The wholesale price of rice has further increased at district level in a week, he added.
He said the import of rice should be made easier in no time by removing all existing duties as global rice prices are much higher this year compared to that of last year.
Following the possible losses in the flooding, he suggested a strategic 1.5 million tonnes of imports to rein in the rocketing prices in the domestic market.
Contacted, farm economist Prof Golam Hafeez Kennedy said that the government should first have an authentic assessment on the availability of rice. Boro production data should be released immediately by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
He further suggested the Directorate General of Food (DGoF) keeping an eye on countries other than India to import rice.
Though it is the easiest to import rice from India within a short period of time, he said, the country has some restrictions over parboiled rice import.
He said Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan could be the alternatives to sourcing rice.
He stressed the need for strengthening monitoring in the milling hubs in Pabna, Naogaon, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Bogura, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Jashore and other regions.
Prof Kennedy also emphasized on fulfilling Boro procurement to ensure maintaining a good public storage.
Meanwhile, the DGoF has purchased 1.45 million tonnes of rice under its Boro procurement drive which is almost equal to the target, said officials. Public warehouses have a record 1.95 million tonnes of food grains, including nearly 1.5 million tonnes of rice.
Bangladesh produced an all-time high 16.6 million tonnes of rice in the last Aman season (in FY '24) while the target has been fixed to get 17.5 million tonnes in FY'25, according to the DAE.
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