After a production fall in last fiscal year (FY), rice output of Aus season in the current FY has increased significantly, ushering in hope for achieving a notable growth in overall production which also witnessed a reduction in last FY.
Rice production witnessed a negative growth last year which was attributed to the reduced acreage and production of Aus as output from other two seasons -- Aman and Boro -- showed increased yields.
Overall production was 33.77 million tonnes in FY '13 which was 33.83 million tonnes in FY '12, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data revealed.
Use of locally-developed high-yielding rice varieties and favourable weather helped the robust Aus production with an increase by 7.78 per cent in FY '14, officials said.
The latest BBS data, which has been sent to the ministry concerned for approval, revealed that Aus production increased to 2.326 million tonnes this fiscal against 2.158 million tonnes of FY '13.
An official said BBS jointly with the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has been conducting rice yield survey adopting a new crop cutting design.
Like Aman season, production survey in Aus season has also been done using the new design, he said.
The official said as per the calculation by the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARSO), Aus acreage was 1.053 million hectares in FY '14 which was 1.051 million hectares last year that indicates a slight reduction.
"But yield was very good -- 2.21 tonnes per hectare -- this FY which was 2.04 tonnes per hectare last fiscal year," he said.
He said Aman production also reached a record of (approximately) 13.02 million tonnes that means overall rice output will show a robust growth this FY in absence of any natural disaster in the ongoing Boro season.
He informed that Aman's final data will be public in next few days.
DAE director general Md Abu Hanif Miah said, "Gaining a little bit profit in last Boro season encouraged farmers much to increase acreage this year".
"Acreage has increased in seasons including Aman and Aus. Boro acreage is going to increase also this FY. Favourable weather and use of quality seeds helped increase the output," he said.
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) member director (seed and horticulture) Md Nuruzzaman told the FE that farmers were given developed rice varieties like Brridhan-42, 43, 48, 55, BR-3, 14, 21, 24 and 26, developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).
He said nearly 18,000 tonnes of quality seed was distributed among the farmers in Aus season.
Farm economist ASM Golam Hafiz Kennedy told the FE that acreage of Aus is reducing continuously.
"Farmers should be provided with cash subsidy to raise production in the Aus season", he said.
He also said, "Local Aus seed varieties were the most disaster-tolerant rice species in the world. BRRI and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture should develop new varieties using the germplasm of those Aus species considering future climate-hit disasters."
Meanwhile, the country has targeted to harvest 34.65 million tonnes of rice in FY '14 from the three rice cropping seasons of Aus, Aman and Boro, accounting for 6.5, 38 and 55.5 per cent respectively of the aggregate level of rice production.
