Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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Table 24.1 Area and population percentages affected
by droughts in Bangladesh since 1950 a
Year of drought
Area (%)
Population (%)
1950
13.79
14.13
1951
31.63
31.1
1952
6.57
5.95
1954
3.43
3.92
1955
9.83
15.49
1956
11.25
9.53
1957
46.54
53.03
1958
37.47
36.24
1960
2.70
3.11
1961
22.39
20.76
1962
11.30
9.74
[314
1963
8.60
6.63
1966
18.42
16.54
1970
9.10
10.55
1971
4.80
5.66
Line
——
4.9
——
Norm
PgEn
1972
42.48
43.05
1976
5.02
5.48
1978
3.66
4.51
1979
42.04
43.90
Source: Chowdhury and Hussain (1983).
a Drought-free years include 1953, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968,
1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1977. Since the drought of 1979, the
government has been taking proactive measures toward promoting
irrigation in the drought-prone areas.
[314
Paddy (rice) is the main crop, occupying about 80% of the cultivated
la nd. Multiple varieties of paddy are grown in the country. In addition to
th e local paddy variety Aman (i.e., T. Aman) grown in the monsoon season,
a premonsoon local variety named Aus is also grown during March-June.
Ju te, a cash crop, has also been grown in lands that were marginally
su itable either for Aus or for Aman .
Because of the increasing population and food requirements, farmers
fir st adopted HYV of paddy and began to encroach into wetlands by
bu ilding embankments in the floodplains to make inundated land virtually
flo od free and suitable for Aman cropping. In addition, farmers began
cu ltivating HYV Boro during the dry season with the help of irrigation.
D epending on the general variability of climate and annual distribution of
te mperature and moisture regimes, there are three major cropping seasons
in Bangladesh: pre- Kharif , Kharif , and Rabi (figure 24.1).
Pr e- Kharif Drought
The pre- Kharif season stretches from mid-March to June. It is a period
with erratic rainfall, a long period of no rainfall, high temperatures, and
 
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