Weather, floods trim Bangladesh’s Rice production in FY2024-25
Business Report :
Bangladesh’s total rice production fell slightly in the last fiscal year (FY2024-25), despite farmers harvesting a record amount of Boro rice thanks to favourable weather and wider cultivation.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), farmers produced 4.06 crore tonnes of ricein FY2024-25, compared to 4.07 crore tonnes in the previous year.
The small decline came mainly due to reduced Aush cultivationand floods affecting Aman rice, even as Boro output hit a new record.
Aush and Aman Hit by Weather, Floods
The BBS report shows that Aush production dropped by 6 percent to 27.93 lakh tonnes, while Aman output fell by 0.9 percent to 1.64 crore tonnes.
Frequent floods and heavy rains during the monsoon disrupted the rain-fed Aman crop, which is usually harvested in November and December.
In contrast, Boro rice, the country’s largest crop, rose by 1.2 percent to 2.13 crore tonnes the highest ever dry-season harvest.
Boro Expansion and Hybrid Varieties Boost Output Expanded cultivation areas and the adoption of hybrid varieties drove the increase in Boro production. Farmers grew Boro on 48.89 lakh hectares, up from 48.77 lakh hectares the year before.
Hybrid rice now covers 12.96 lakh hectares, 2.29 percent more than last year, and yields about 14 percent higher than traditional varieties. “It was a good season for Boro.
The weather was favourable, and there were no major natural disasters before harvest,” said Mohammad Khalequzzaman, director general of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).
“Farmers are now more aware and adopting better methods, which helped increase yields,” he added.
Rice Prices Ease Slightly
The report comes as rice prices a key concern for Bangladesh’s 17 crore people – have fallen slightly over the past month.
Increased imports and the ongoing Aman harvest have helped ease supply pressure.
Between July 1 and November 11 of FY2025-26, the country imported 4.37 lakh tonnes of rice,approximately 30 percent of last year’s total imports, according to the Food Ministry.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) estimated that Tk 212 crore worth of crops were damaged across 29 districts due to heavy rain and strong winds caused by Cyclone Mantha in late October and early November.
The storm affected Aman paddy, as well as vegetables, potatoes, onions, chillies, maize, and mustard.
Despite the damage, Aman acreage increased to 59.28 lakh hectares, up 6 percent from last year.
Targets for FY2025-26
For the current fiscal year, the DAE has set production targets of 32 lakh tonnes for Aush, 1.81 crore tonnes for Aman, and 2.27 crore tonnes for Boro.
Early data suggest that Aush cultivation has expanded but still remains below target.
Overall, experts say Bangladesh’s rice production remains stable despite weather challenges – thanks to resilient farmers and the growing use of hybrid rice.