RICE CROP IN TROUBLE

A major rice variety in Bangladesh is being threatened by drought. "Our hopes for a quick agricultural recovery after last year's devastating floods have been threatened by prolonged dry weather that may badly affect the yield of Boro, a major rice variety," said Qazi Shahabuddin Ahmed of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies. "The Boro will be nearly lost if there is no rain," he said. Bangladesh produces around 18 million tonnes of rice every year, including eight million tonnes of Boro.