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Download PDF The floods have seriously affected production of crops including paddy, jute, sugarcane and vegetables in 262 upazilas of 44 districts, which may lead to further increase in the price of food items, especially vegetables.
Crops of 1.56lakh hectares of land have gone under floodwater, said sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
Crops especially seasonal vegetables and Aus paddy of these areas will be lost if floodwater stays for a long time, DAE sources said.
They fear Aman plantation that is usually done by August will be delayed too.
However, the agriculture department officials said they are getting ready to recover the crop loss of the affected areas by planting early yielding varieties immediately after the floods.
Expressing grave concern over the damage of crops in the flood-affected areas, economists said the flooding may lead to a record increase in the inflation rate.
Edible oil, rice, flour, onion, aubergine, green papaya, cucumber, green banana, green and dried chilli, different types of leafy vegetables and spices– all saw a rise in their prices at the kitchen markets in the capital during the last two weeks.
DAE statistics show that 20,744 hectares of the 85308-hectare vegetable lands are now under floodwater in the 44 districts, while 20,977 hectares out of 1,16,342 hectares seedbed have gone under water.
Vegetable lands in Rajbari, Jhenidah, Narsingdi, Dhaka, Natore and Mymensing areas have been seriously affected by the floodwater.
“It would be difficult to save vegetables and Aus in the flood-affected areas if water stays for a long time,” said Dr Shahidul Islam, director of field survey wing of DAE.
Fifty-five thousand hectares of Aus lands are under water and Aman seedbeds are also affected in some areas.
He however said the low yield of Aus would possibly be recovered if Aman can be planted in due time.
“Flooding will surely affect the inflation rate if it continues for a long time,” said Dr Zaid Bakht, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
He said there is no possibility of food crisis in the country if the government can ensure Aman plantation by August. But it will be difficult to keep the prices of vegetables at a tolerable level and consumers may suffer a lot during the Ramadan.
Qazi Khaliquzzaman Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA), has expressed apprehension that the flood may have adverse effect on the food prices and even lead to food crisis in the country.
As floods destroy roads and highways, prices of food items, especially in the remote areas, may see a serious rise at one stage, he said, adding that the government should put in place a system for food distribution among the people during this period.
MARKET PRICE
The price of green chilli has doubled during the last two weeks, reaching Tk 100 per kg at different retail markets in the capital.
Spices like cardamom, cumin and dried chilli sold at Tk 600, Tk 205 and Tk 110 a kg last week, but their prices have shot up by Tk 100-110.
The price of fine rice rose from Tk 45 to Tk 55, IRRI (coarse rice) from Tk 21 to Tk 22, Najirshail from Tk 28 to Tk 30 and Miniket rose from last week’s Tk 32 to Tk 34.
The price of Paijam rice remained stable during the last two weeks.
Lentils, which were selling at Tk 60per kilogram last week, are now selling at Tk 70. Aubergine is now selling between Tk 28 and Tk 32; it sold at Tk 20-24 last week. The prices of green papaya, ginger, cucumber, green banana, pui shak and lal shak rose by Tk 4-6 during the last week.
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