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The production figure matches last year’s output. The USDA added that farmers were anticipating a good harvest of Boro as of March 2025.

“No natural disasters, such as droughts, heatwaves, cyclones, or pest outbreaks, have been reported yet,” the report said.

Referring to the Boro harvest, it said prices are likely to drop from May as fresh supply enters the market. However, given the persistently high cost of production, the agency said that prices could start rising again in August this year.

Boro rice — accounting for more than half of Bangladesh’s annual rice production — is usually transplanted between December and January and harvested from April to May. The crop is heavily reliant on irrigation.

Rising production costs

The USDA said that the cost of Boro rice cultivation continues to rise each year due to higher irrigation charges, pricier fertilisers, and increased labour wages.

Bangladesh’s rice farming still depends heavily on manual labour owing to limited mechanisation.

“Farmers in the northern part of the country reported that labour wages were particularly high this year, especially during the peak transplantation period. They also anticipate even higher wages during the Boro rice harvest due to a labour shortage,” the report said.

Quoting officials from the agriculture ministry, it added that wages for agricultural labourers in the north had increased by 15–20 percent this season.

Farmers primarily draw groundwater for irrigation during Boro cultivation. Amid soaring temperatures, many have had to water their fields more frequently — further inflating production costs, said the report.

Heatwave raises concern over blast disease

Despite favourable acreage and weather conditions until March, the current heatwave has sparked fears of a potential blast disease outbreak in Boro fields.

In a special bulletin last week, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) said that 18 districts were highly vulnerable to the heatwave. Farmers were urged to keep water in their fields throughout the heatwave to protect the crop.

To curb the threat of blast disease, BRRI recommended immediate fungicide application upon detecting symptoms.

“The current weather is favourable to blast. So, we have recommended the use of fungicide as soon as farmers observe symptoms of blast,” said Mohammad Khalequzzaman, director general (routine charge) of BRRI.

He added that the crop appeared healthy so far. “There is sound growth. I think Boro production will be good this season, if the weather remains favourable,” he said.