The output of rice crops, particularly Aman and Aus, is likely to increase in the current fiscal year compared to the last fiscal year despite falling of harvesting area, predicts the latest estimate of various national statistical agencies.
Aman production of financial year 2014-15 has been estimated around 1.4 crore metric tons, an increase of 1.3% compared to 1.3 crore metric tons in the same period a year earlier, according to the agriculture wing of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
Total area under the crop has been estimated around 1.4 crore acres in this fiscal year and no change in area under Aman took place in 2014 as regards to previous year, it said.
During the period, Aus production has been estimated at 23.28 crore metric tons, which is 0.08% higher over the last year despite declining harvesting area of 0.6%.
“Timely distribution of seed and fertilizer, favourable weather and uninterrupted supply of electricity led to substantial higher production this year,” said an official.
Department of Agricultural Extension has set targets for Aus and Aman crop productions at 24 lakh tons and 1.34 crore tons respectively for the year starting July. However, targets for Boro, the main crop, is yet to be fixed as the production estimate for boro in the next fiscal year is not yet done.
Aman, the second largest rice crop in the country, production has been persistently higher since 2010. In respect to the volume of production, Boro tops the production though the area coverage of Aman is the largest as a single crop and Boro remains the second.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) report released last year, the total rice output may rise 0.60% to 3.48 crore tons in the current fiscal year from last year.
