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Download PDF The country may face a rice shortage of at least 30 lakh tonnes due to loss of crop caused by Cyclone Sidr and repeated floods, according to a CPD-Brac report.
However, it was observed that the shortage can be tackled through an agricultural rehabilitation package for the farmers comprising farm loans, irrigation facilities and smooth supplies of seeds and fertiliser.
“We usually have rice shortage of 10-15 lakh tonnes, but because of the recurrent natural disasters, there will be an additional shortage of 19 lakh tonnes, totalling the shortage up to 30 lakh tonnes at least,” Mahbub Hossain, executive director of Brac, said at a joint press briefing with CPD.
It is essential that the government ensure smooth supply of fertiliser during the Boro season to offset this shortage, he added.
Executive Director of CPD Mustafizur Rahman and senior research fellow of the organisation Uttam Deb were also present at the briefing.
“An agricultural rehabilitation programme needs to be initiated immediately to generate employment and increase food production to minimise the effect of rising food prices and household level food insecurity,” states the report jointly commissioned by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Brac.
The report was prepared after Brac and CPD researchers consulted over 120 farmers in different parts of the Sidr-affected areas recently.
The package should include smooth supply of fertiliser and seeds, tilling equipment, low-lift pumps for irrigation and agricultural loans, the report states.
The report notes that irrigation facilities are absent in the cyclone-affected areas and a huge number of cattle were lost in the disaster. Due to these reasons, the small and marginal farmers should be given power pumps and power tillers immediately on easy terms, it added.
The CPD-Brac report states that the farmers demand seasonal crop loans of Tk 4,000 per bigha for irrigation and cultivation of hybrid-Boro, to be repaid in one or two instalments after the next crop harvest.
The fish farmers on the other hand asked for a much higher amount, Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000, for fish cultivation in large ponds, to be repaid within two years with a six-month grace period.
Talking to the reporters, Mahbub said that the current government plan to supply only fertiliser and seeds to Sidr-affected farmers is not enough, adding that it should also include irrigation facilities and loans.
He said the NGOs alone cannot provide the irrigation tools and facilities package and the farmers should be assisted through coordinated efforts by NGOs, the private sector and the government.
CPD Executive Director Mustafizur Rahman said that due to Cyclone Sidr, there would be a 10 lakh tonnes rice shortage worth Tk 2.5 crore. He observed that food distribution rather than availability will be the bigger challenge that will require the provision of a safety net and income-generating programmes.
Senior research fellow of CPD Uttam Deb said that cash-for-work schemes for the landless should be introduced as they do not have any assets left after the cyclone.
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