STAR BUSINESS REPORT

Rice production in the latest Aus season declined 3 percent, mainly due to a reduction in both the acreage and yield of the crop harvested during the July-August period of FY26.

In the latest Aus season, farmers harvested 27 lakh tonnes of rice, down from 27.9 lakh tonnes in FY25, according to data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The yield of Aus in FY26 stood at 2.865 tonnes per hectare, marking a 1.65 percent year-on-year decline from the previous Aus season in FY25.

BBS said the area under Aus cultivation fell 1.44 percent to 9.45 lakh hectares in the latest Aus season from 9.58 lakh hectares in the same period of the previous year.

According to the BBS, farmers have been shifting from Aus rice cultivation to other seasonal crops due to the prospect of higher profits.

This has resulted in a gradual decline in both the area under Aus cultivation and production.

While Boro paddy accounts for more than half of the total rice output, Aus accounts for less than one-tenth of Bangladesh’s annual rice production.