BD rice output less by 1.05m tonnes
FE REPORT | Monday, 1 March 2021
Bangladesh's rice production has been estimated less by 1.05 million tonnes in the current marketing year than that of last year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA has projected Bangladesh's total rice output to be 34.05 million tonnes for the 2020-2021 marketing year compared to 35.85 million tonnes in the previous year, revealed the USDA report on Grain and Feed Update for Bangladesh.
The report attributed such fall in the rice production due to flooding and heavy rainfall.
"…Post's production forecast is lowered to 34.8 million metric tons (MMT), a 2.93 percent decrease over 2019/20 production, due to Aus and Aman rice production loss because of flooding and heavy downpour during June and July 2020," the USDA said in its latest report.
It further said severe flooding in June and July 2020 submerged farmland and led to as much as 15 per cent crop loss in some lowland areas.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and nationwide lockdown measures in March 2020, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) significantly expanded its rice distribution programmes.