Miller Magazine Issue: 132 December 2020

BANGLADESH 80 MILLER / december 2020 Bangladesh is situated in the northeastern corner of the Indian subcontinent and bordered by India and Bur- ma, with a population of 165 million. Bangladesh is the eighth-most populous country in the world, and the most densely populated other than city-states. It has enjoyed consistent annual GDP growth of over six percent since 2005, though growth in 2020 will like- ly slow because of the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bangladesh’s GDP reached $317 billion in 2019 with an annual growth rate of 7.9 percent. Much of Bangladesh’s economic growth continues to be driven by exports from the $28.0 billion ready-made garments (RMG) industry. The gar- ment sector accounts for more than 80 percent of Ban- gladesh’s total exports. Agriculture plays a vital role as the source of livelihood, growth of the economy and providing employment in the country. Nearly half of the Bangladeshi workforce is employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Bangladesh produces a variety of agricultural products such as rice, wheat, corn, legumes, fruits, vegetables, chicken meat, fish, and seafood. Rice is the main staple in the Bangladeshi diet. Lack of arable land and limited natural resources increase the importance of developing new agricultural technol- ogies, such as salt-tolerant or submergence tolerant seed varieties, to help increase productivity and meet future demand. Strikes, floods, cyclones, and drought can also affect agricultural productivity levels and incomes. From the last couple of decades, the country has fought to ensure food security to feed 160 million peo- ple through very little diversity in crops and with limited land available for cultivation. With significant economic development, the country achieved great success in en- suring food security through the supply of staple foods like rice, vegetables, fruits, and fish to consumers. Within the last ten years, the issue of food safety has been raised as adulterated and low-quality foods spread to markets, raising public health issues to a critical level. Previously, the Ministry of Food was fully engaged in rice and wheat procurement, storing these commodities in government facilities and supplying them to consumers through vari- ous feeding programs. Realizing the importance of a se- cure and safe food supply to consumers, the Ministry of Food established the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) in October 2013. Since May, Bangladesh’s grain farmers have had to overcome a cyclone, heavy monsoon rains, and a consis- tent inflow of floodwaters from India. The floods, which started with heavy rainfall on June 17, did not recede until the end of August and have caused Bangladesh’s 200-plus rivers to overflow, impacting over 40 percent of Bangladesh’s landmass, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. Rice production during the Boro, Aus, and Aman growing seasons was impacted. Corn production was mildly impacted. Wheat production forecasts were not impacted, as wheat is produced during the winter months in Bangladesh. The COVID-19 pandemic has not had a significant