Report No. 53081-bd agricultural Insurance in Bangladesh Promoting Access to Small and Marginal Farmers June 2010 the world bank south Asia Poverty Reduction, Economic Management, Finance and Private Sector Development Insurance for the Poor

19. 
    Crop production and yields are collected on a routine basis by the BBS and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) using sample surveys and area estimation, crop-yield cutting, and visual estimation techniques. The lowest level of reporting of annual cultivated area, production, and yield data is the region (“Great district”) and then aggregation at a National crop level. However, upon request and on a fee basis, BBS can provide crop production and yield statistics for lower levels of aggregation such as the District (Zila) level or even the sub-District (Upazila) level. Crop-cutting methods are discussed further in chapter 4 and annex 5.
    

20. 
    A set of seven major crops—Aman HYV, Aman LTV, Aman LBV, Aus HYV, Aus LV, Boro HYV, Boro LV, and Wheat—have been selected for an analysis to determine their historic tendency in yields and yield variability due to natural calamities. The selected sets of crops are considered to be a representative sample of crop production in Bangladesh, as they represent 81.8 percent of the countrywide cultivated area.
    
21. 
    High-yield varieties (HYV) of paddy have typically different yield performance than the local broadcast and local-transplanted varieties. The yields in HYV paddy crops are, on average, up to twice the yield of the local varieties. At the same time, the yield variability of HYV paddy crops is lower than that observed for the local varieties of paddy. Apart from the genetic yield potential of the seed, another reason that might be contributing to this is the fact that local varieties of paddy crops tend to be cultivated in marginal lands and are therefore prone to yield losses.
    
22. 
    Most of the crops analyzed under this study exhibit technology-yield trend increases over the past 18 years, 1990–91 to 2007–08. The yield increases are due to the introduction of improved technology including genetically improved HYV seeds, higher and balanced use of fertilizers and agrochemicals, and the improvement in irrigation facilities. Rabi crops show a higher yield improvement trend than Kharif and pre-Kharif crops. Among the Rabi crops, boro HYV paddy is the crop that shows the major increase in yields over the past 18 years; average yields have increased by 38 percent from 1,057 kg/acre in 1990–91 to1992–93 to an average of 1,450 kg/acre during the period 2005–06 to 2007–08. Boro LV paddy follows boro HYV, with an increase in yields of 37 percent over the past 18 years. Wheat exhibits a yield growth rate of 21 percent over this period. Much smaller yield improvements apply to pre-Kharif (Aus) paddy and Kharif (aman) paddy. (See figure 3.2).
    
23. 
    Natural calamities such as flood, drought, and cyclone cause high crop-yield losses as shown by the annual variation in national average crop yields in figure 3.2 for the 18 year period 1990–91 to 2007–08. For example, the floods of 1998–99 caused national yield reductions of 35 percent in aman LBV paddy, 17 percent in aman LTV paddy, and 9 percent for aman HYV paddy compared to the previous five year average. In 2004–05 floods and droughts caused major reductions in national average yields for all major crops of paddy and wheat, and in 2007–08 Aus and Aman paddy crop yields were severely reduced by floods followed by Cyclone Sidr.
    

Source: World Bank based on BBS statistics.

24. 
    The spatial distribution of annual average yields at the regional level is influenced by the predominant inundation land type in the case of Kharif crops and the availability of irrigation infrastructure in the case of Rabi crops. Aman HYV’s yields tend to be higher in western regions and extreme eastern strips of the eastern region of the country where the predominant land inundation type is highland or medium highland. In these regions, aman HYV average yields for the 18 year period are in the range from 900 kg/acre to 1,000 kg/acre. The lowest average yield is observed in Faridpur and Patuakhali regions, both facing flood risks with values in the range from 600 kg/acre to 700 kg/acre. The spatial distribution of boro HYV yields depends on the availability of irrigation facilities. Boro HYV annual average yields for the analyzed 18 year period (1990–91 to 2007–08) range from 1,300 kg/acre to 1,400 kg/acre in Jessore and Faridpur regions, respectively. In the central and western regions of Bangladesh—Rajshashi, Pabna, Bogra, Tangail, Dhaka, and Comilla regions—the 18-year average yields vary from 1,200 kg/acre to 1,300 kg/acre. The lowest average yield for the period 1990–91 to 2007–08, between 900 kg/acre and 1,000 kg/acre is observed in Sylhet. The annual average yield spatial distribution based on 18-year actual average yields for aman HYV and boro HYV is shown in map 3.3. The annual average yield spatial distribution for aman LTV, aman LBV, Aus HYV, Aus LV, Boro LV, and wheat are discussed further in annex 6.
    

Aman HYV Paddy		Boro HYV Paddy
Source: World Bank based on BBS data.