Boosting domestic food production
Monday, 6 December 2010
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has issued a warning recently that the bill for global food imports will top $1,000 billion this year for the second time ever putting the world dangerously close to a new food crisis. The scenario projected in the latest FAO’s twice-yearly Food Outlook, warned that the world should be prepared for even higher prices for these products in the year 2011 if domestic food productions in importing countries do not increase substantially. A similar food crisis was witnessed from under production worldwide in 2007-8 when the imported food bill soared to $ 1,031 billion. But ten years before that crisis, the global food bill for imports averaged less than $ 500 billion a year.
Prices of agricultural commodities have surged following top producers of wheat for exports, Russia and Ukraine, declaring a ban on their exports. In this backdrop, the two most populous countries, China and India, have met setbacks in their food production.
For Bangladesh, India its next door neighbour, is the source from which it could import food grains conveniently and at most competitive prices. But this source is also drying up. Although the Indian government declared a relaxation of their ban on food grain export in relation to Bangladesh, it remains to be seen how far the offer can materialize in the tight situation faced by India itself.
Under the current volatile international market conditions, the government should form urgent policies and implement them neatly to keep the supply lines of imported food grains as stable as possible. Internally, the greatest stress will have to be put on increasing overall production of food grains. It appears that climate did not favorably impact the played a part in last harvest of Aman rice. The preparations are underway to raise the next Boro crop during the coming winter months.
A S M Mazumdar
Pallabi, Dhaka
Prices of agricultural commodities have surged following top producers of wheat for exports, Russia and Ukraine, declaring a ban on their exports. In this backdrop, the two most populous countries, China and India, have met setbacks in their food production.
For Bangladesh, India its next door neighbour, is the source from which it could import food grains conveniently and at most competitive prices. But this source is also drying up. Although the Indian government declared a relaxation of their ban on food grain export in relation to Bangladesh, it remains to be seen how far the offer can materialize in the tight situation faced by India itself.
Under the current volatile international market conditions, the government should form urgent policies and implement them neatly to keep the supply lines of imported food grains as stable as possible. Internally, the greatest stress will have to be put on increasing overall production of food grains. It appears that climate did not favorably impact the played a part in last harvest of Aman rice. The preparations are underway to raise the next Boro crop during the coming winter months.
A S M Mazumdar
Pallabi, Dhaka