By Star Business

Bangladesh is expected to bag 6.2 crore tonnes of paddy in 2025, a 2.4 percent rise from a year earlier, owing to higher plantings and bumper yields in the Boro and Aman seasons, according to the latest Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report.

Favourable weather conditions helped the crop through the growing period, the UN agency said.

The FAO has forecasted Bangladesh’s paddy production to remain above-average in 2025. Average national production during 2020 to 2024 stood at 5.83 crore tonnes.

In its country brief on Bangladesh released late last month, the UN agency said harvesting of the Aman crop, which makes up about 35 percent of annual output, is due to wrap up by the end of December 2025. 

Production is forecast at an above-average level, due mainly to anticipated bumper yields and favourable weather conditions.

Rainfed Aman acreage rose 5.5 percent year-on-year to 59.23 lakh hectares in 2025, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

The FAO also pointed to last year’s Boro crop, which accounts for around 55 percent of total output, and said production was estimated at a record 3.17 crore tonnes.

This reflects expanded plantings in response to high prices at sowing time and strong yields supported by favourable weather, it said.

DAE estimation showed that Boro acreage increased 3.35 percent year-on-year to 50.5 lakh hectares in 2025.

Aus production, however, fell after floods damaged crops between May and July 2025. Output of this smallest contributor to the rice basket was estimated at 45 lakh tonnes, about 9 percent below average, the FAO said.

The UN agency said maize production reached a record 53 lakh tonnes, due mostly to larger sowings amid firm domestic demand and high prices during planting.

“Favourable weather conditions and widespread use of high-yielding seed varieties supported above-average yields,” it said.

In the case of wheat, the third-largest cereal crop, production in 2025 was 11 lakh tonnes, which the agency terms “a near-average level.”

Overall, the country is expected to produce 6.84 crore tonnes of cereals in 2025, registering a 2.2 percent year-on-year increase.

Despite increased domestic production, the UN agency forecasted above-average cereal imports.

Import needs for rice in calendar year 2025 are forecast at an above-average level of 18 lakh tonnes, following the government’s decision to reduce rice import duties from 63.2 percent to just a 2 percent service charge on August 10, 2025, in response to elevated domestic rice prices, it added.

The FAO said Bangladesh’s cereal imports consist mostly of wheat, which covers 80 percent of the country’s consumption needs, plus minor quantities of rice and maize.

In the 2025-26 marketing year ending in June, cereal import requirements are forecast at about 1 crore tonnes, around 10 percent above the five-year average of over 80 lakh tonnes.

Imports of wheat are forecast at an above-average level of 69 lakh tonnes, driven by increased consumption associated with a gradual shift in local diet preferences, it added.

“Consumption of wheat flour products has tripled since 2000, and currently accounts for about 10 percent of total average calorie intake,” said the report.

The FAO, however, projects maize imports at 16 lakh tonnes, a near-average level.

Published Date: January 23, 2026