Abstract:
„Manga‟, a near-famine situation which hits the northern region of Bangladesh every year, has forced
poor people either to borrow money from usurers at an excessively high interest rate or to sell their labor
in advance at an unusually low rate to keep their families from starvation. Many people sell their meager
produce of aman crops well before harvesting to tide them over during the acute shortage of
employment and food. The five districts of the northern region of Bangladesh that are most affected by
manga are Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, and Rangpur. Other locations significantly
affected are the areas cultivated with rice variety Binadhan-7, which is grown for its low crop duration of
110-120 days and for its average yield of 4.07 t/ha. These characteristics are similar to those of local
rice varieties Sarna (4.29 t/ha) and BR-11 (4.29 t/ha). Early maturing rice varieties, which are harvested
during aman, facilitate rabi crop cultivation (winter crops). These crops include potato, mustard, and
wheat among others. The cultivation of early maturing varieties also allows for the engagement of farm
laborers in harvesting and processing activities during the manga period of October and November.
