Floods may lead to a new surge in foodgrain prices
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Fazle Rashid from New York
FINANCE Advisor Dr. Mirza Azizul Islam's hopes as reflected in his budget speech that Bangladesh would be spared a visitation by all devouring floods this year may not come out to be true. Though the nation will share his optimism, severe flooding in the contiguous region of the Southeast Asia, may well be an indication that the worst is not yet over.
One thing is sure that there will be a spurt in the price of rice and wheats in the coming months. The rice and wheat growing nations like Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos have all gone under swirling water. The current deluge has been described as the worst in decades. But what is worrying is the fact that the farm lands in these countries have gone under water destroying paddy on the fields.
More than 160 people have died in Vietnam and thousands have been rendered homeless. The floods in Myanmar have engulfed most of the country including capital Yangoon. The Mekong River in Laos has burst its coastline resulting in the floods whose severity was described as the worst in the recent memory. In Thailand experts said the Mekong had reached its highest level in 30 years inundating farm lands and prompting evacuation of thousands of marooned people. Floods have been caused by heavy downpours in China, Laos and Thailand. Cambodia is bracing itself for floods as waters from the Mekong river is gushing downward.
New York Times quoted government officials in Vietnam as saying ' floodwaters had peaked at close to their 1968 record level. Choppers are being used in Vietnam to evacuate people including tourists to safe places.
The heavy downpour in Chittagong that caused an avalanche of mud may well be the precursor of floods. The government must be prepared for all the eventualities including shortage of foodgrains. There will not be enough to import from the food surplus countries.
FINANCE Advisor Dr. Mirza Azizul Islam's hopes as reflected in his budget speech that Bangladesh would be spared a visitation by all devouring floods this year may not come out to be true. Though the nation will share his optimism, severe flooding in the contiguous region of the Southeast Asia, may well be an indication that the worst is not yet over.
One thing is sure that there will be a spurt in the price of rice and wheats in the coming months. The rice and wheat growing nations like Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos have all gone under swirling water. The current deluge has been described as the worst in decades. But what is worrying is the fact that the farm lands in these countries have gone under water destroying paddy on the fields.
More than 160 people have died in Vietnam and thousands have been rendered homeless. The floods in Myanmar have engulfed most of the country including capital Yangoon. The Mekong River in Laos has burst its coastline resulting in the floods whose severity was described as the worst in the recent memory. In Thailand experts said the Mekong had reached its highest level in 30 years inundating farm lands and prompting evacuation of thousands of marooned people. Floods have been caused by heavy downpours in China, Laos and Thailand. Cambodia is bracing itself for floods as waters from the Mekong river is gushing downward.
New York Times quoted government officials in Vietnam as saying ' floodwaters had peaked at close to their 1968 record level. Choppers are being used in Vietnam to evacuate people including tourists to safe places.
The heavy downpour in Chittagong that caused an avalanche of mud may well be the precursor of floods. The government must be prepared for all the eventualities including shortage of foodgrains. There will not be enough to import from the food surplus countries.