FROM PAGE B4

“Farmers in the northern districts of Bangladesh reported a good harvest of Aman season rice despite the higher cost of production,” it said.

As the US agency lowers its forecast regarding overall rice output for the MY25, Bangladesh’s rice imports may rise as per government plans and for a reduction in import tariff.

Farmers Make Little To No Profit

The US agency said the average price of coarse rice in November hit a 12-year high at Tk 53.3 per kilogramme.

The price was 5.2 percent higher in November from that a year ago, it said, citing retail prices data recorded by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.

The USDA said various factors, including a higher cost of rice production, processing, transportation, and an inefficient supply chain, are contributing to the rising price of rice.

“Like many other agricultural commodities in Bangladesh, the rice supply chain involves multiple market actors, which ultimately leads to higher costs for consumers,” it said.

Yet, due to the increased costs of fertiliser, labour, and irrigation, farmers are earning little to no profit from rice cultivation, with profits only coming from selling rice straw, it said.

“Rice straw is widely used as feed for dairy cows by smallholder farmers,” it added.