2015 main season rice crop forecast to be up by 19% from previous year
Monday, 23 February 2015 00:01
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The United Nations Food and Agriculture organisation (FAO) forecasts Sri Lanka’s Maha season paddy output this year to fare better over the last year’s drought-reduced crop.
The FAO estimates the 2015 Maha season output will be up 19% from the drought-reduced 2014 Maha crop.
Harvesting of the 2015 Maha rice crop has started in mid-January, with the bulk to be collected between February and March.
The increased Maha crop, which accounts for about 65% of annual production, is attributed to the favourable rainfall from October to January benefiting the planting operations in the eastern, central and north western major rice growing areas and replenishing irrigation water in the reservoirs.
However, heavy rains in late November and December caused localised flooding in key rice producing areas in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the country.
Preliminary official estimates indicate losses of 410,246 metric tons of paddy rice, particularly in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa districts.
Considering the estimated flood damage and assuming near-average yields, FAO forecasts the 2015 Maha season paddy output at 2.7 million metric tons, up 19% from the drought-reduced 2014 Maha crop season.
The total rice production in both Maha and Yala seasons of 2014 is officially estimated at 3.5 million metric tons, some 25% lower than the 2013 record output and 14% below the previous five-year average.
Rice prices have gone up in December due to the loss of production in 2014 but expected to drop in February with the recent Government’s release of 100,000 metric tons of imported rice stocks into the market and the 2015 main Maha season harvest in February/March.
Meanwhile, harvesting of the 2015 main season Maha maize crop, is currently ongoing and will continue until the end of March. Latest official forecasts put the 2015 main season Maha maize production at 271,091 metric tons, up 21% from the 2013 same season level.
The projected increase is the result of a 40% expansion in the area planted which is expected to more than compensate for a small decrease in yields, following recent floods.
Assuming an average forthcoming 2015 Yala secondary crop, FAO tentatively forecasts the 2015 aggregate maize production at 300,000 metric tons, 15% above the 2014 bumper output.
Recent floods in November and December last year have resulted in significant crop losses in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the country.
