The gap between production and consumption of rice still persists. According to the Agriculture Ministry, production is quite good, at least 50 lakh tonnes more than the demand. Therefore there is no need to import rice. However, despite surplus production, rice prices are rising.
Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said rice production in Bangladesh this year is slightly below demand. Demand for rice increased due to decline in wheat imports.
According to Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), a total of 41.2 million tonnes of rice is expected to be produced this year, which includes 20.9 million tonnes of Boro rice, three million tonnes of Aush rice and 17 million tonnes of Aman rice. At present the total demand for rice in the country is about 35 million tonnes. In such a situation, there should be a surplus of 5 to 6 million tonnes of rice.