Attachments
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
- Favourable production prospects for 2025 Boro paddy crop
- Above‑average cereal production obtained in 2024
- Average cereal import requirements forecast in 2024/25
- Prices of rice higher year‑on‑year in April 2025
- About 23.6 million people acutely food insecure between October and December 2024
Favourable production prospects for 2025 Boro paddy crop
Harvesting of the 2025 Boro paddy crop, which is mostly irrigated and accounts for about 55 percent of the annual output, is expected to conclude in June and production prospects are favourable. The area planted is estimated to be above the five‑year average, in response to high domestic prices. According to satellite imagery, crop conditions prior to the harvest onset last April were above average across most parts of the country, supported by favourable weather conditions. Increased adoption of high‑yielding seed varieties contributed to boost yields. The 2025 Aus paddy crop, which accounts for about 10 percent of the annual output, is currently at flowering and grain‑filling stages, and its conditions are generally favourable in key producing northern and southern areas. Planting of the 2025 Aman paddy crop, which accounts for about 35 percent of the annual output, is underway with favourable soil moisture conditions and harvesting is expected to start in October.
Harvesting of the 2025 Rabi maize crop, which accounts for about 85 percent of the annual output, finalized last May and production is estimated at above‑average level, mostly reflecting large sowings driven by high prices at planting time. Harvesting of the 2025 Kharif maize crop, which accounts for about 15 percent of the annual output, is expected to conclude next July and production prospects are generally favourable.
Above‑average cereal production obtained in 2024
The 2024 aggregate cereal production is estimated at above‑average 66.5 million tonnes. Production of paddy is estimated at above‑average 60.2 million tonnes, reflecting large plantings and bumper yields, and despite crop losses incurred due to heavy rains and floods between May and August 2024 and the passage of Cyclone Remal in late July 2024. The 2024 production of maize is officially estimated at record 5.2 million tonnes, mostly reflecting area expansion, while the production of wheat crop is estimated at slightly above‑average 1.2 million tonnes.
Average cereal import requirements forecast in 2024/25
Cereal imports consist mostly of wheat, that cover 80 percent of country’s consumption needs, plus minor quantities of rice and maize. In the 2024/25 marketing year (July/June), cereal import requirements are forecast at 9 million tonnes, near the five‑year average and well above the unusually low level in 2023/24, when the country’s import capacity was limited by low foreign currency reserves. Imports of wheat are projected at near‑average 6.7 million tonnes. Imports of maize are forecast at above‑average 1.4 million tonnes, driven by steady demand for feed by the livestock and fishing industries. Imports of rice in calendar year 2025 are forecast at 1.2 million tonnes, up from 175 000 tonnes in 2024.
Prices of rice higher year‑on‑year in April 2025
Domestic prices of rice in Dhaka, the capital city, increased steadily between October 2023 and January 2025, due to inflationary pressure and increases in costs of production, milling and transportation. Since February 2025, prices remained stable and, as of April 2025, were 8 percent higher than their levels a year earlier.
Prices of mostly imported wheat flour (locally referred to as “atta”) have declined since early 2024, in line with downward trends in international markets. As of April 2025, prices were about 10 percent lower year‑on‑year.
About 23.6 million people acutely food insecure between October and December 2024
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, about 23.6 million people were projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 [Crisis] and above) between October and December 2024, up from 16.5 million people estimated in the April‑October 2024 period. About 21.9 million people were projected to be in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) and about 1.6 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). The deterioration of food security conditions was mostly attributed to floods caused by Cyclone Remal, which affected livelihoods of about 19 million people and caused severe localized losses of crops, livestock, food stocks and agricultural infrastructure. In addition, despite the above‑average cereal harvests obtained in 2023 and 2024, which have improved food availability, concerns about access to food remain due to persistent high food inflation that diminishes the purchasing power of vulnerable households.
The food inflation stayed at elevated levels since August 2022 and, in April 2025, it was estimated at 9.2 percent slightly below the 9.7 percent a year earlier, driven by high costs of production and transport.
Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/.
FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/.
FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/.
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .