Highlights:
- Bangladesh's rice output rose 8% despite a 2% decline in cultivated area
- Average rice yield per acre increased 10.3% between FY21 and FY25
- Climate-resilient rice varieties are helping farmers cope with floods, salinity and drought
- Farmers in coastal Satkhira are growing rice despite persistent soil salinity
- Short-duration rice varieties help haor farmers harvest before flash floods arrive
Bangladesh is producing more rice from less farmland as climate-resilient seed varieties are helping farmers cope with floods, salinity and drought, offering a way to sustain food production amid mounting pressure on cultivable land.
Cultivated area under Aus, Aman and Boro rice fell by about 2% between FY21 and FY25, but total production rose by around 8%, while yield per acre increased by 10.3%, data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) shows.
Rice production increased from 37.608 million tonnes on 28,912 acres in FY21 to 40,630 million tonnes on 28,317 acres in FY25. Average yield rose from 1,301kg to 1,435kg per acre.
The gains reflect a growing focus on developing and distributing rice varieties suited to the climate and geographical risks facing different regions, according to agriculture officials.
For instance, Gabura, a coastal island union in Satkhira battered by climate change, is seeing rice cultivation take root despite persistent soil salinity.
Abdur Wahab, a farmer of Sora village under the union, has cultivated BRRI rice on 3 bighas of land. He said rice could not previously be grown in the area because of salinity.
"This year, I have cultivated rice on a trial basis. Other farmers have also taken up rice cultivation. We planted BR-49 seeds, and the seedlings are still in good condition. We are hopeful of a good yield and expect to harvest the crop in another 15-20 days," he said.
Md Obaidur Rahman Mondal, director of the Department of Agricultural Extension's (DAE) Field Services Wing, said new crop varieties are being developed through research, with seeds supplied according to farmers' needs in different regions.
In coastal areas affected by salinity, the DAE is promoting BRRI dhan-47, BRRI dhan-55, BRRI dhan-61, BRRI dhan-67, Binadhan-8 and Binadhan-10, he said.
For flood-prone areas, farmers are encouraged to grow BRRI dhan-51 and BRRI dhan-52, which can withstand submergence for seven to 14 days during the Aman season. BRRI dhan-118, which has a short growing period, is also being promoted in flood-prone areas.
In haor areas such, where early flash floods threaten crops, short-duration varieties are supplied to help farmers harvest before floodwaters arrive, added Mondal. In drought-prone areas, the DAE is distributing Binadhan-7, BRRI dhan-56 and BRRI dhan-57.
Firoz Mahmud, genetics and plant breeding professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said Bangladesh must produce more food from less land as population growth and urbanisation continue to reduce cultivable areas.
"Developing and disseminating improved varieties tailored to the specific risks posed by climate change is essential to achieving that goal," he said.
With farmland shrinking, future growth in agricultural output will depend largely on higher productivity. However, increasing yields through heavier use of fertilisers and pesticides must not upset the environmental and ecological balance, he cautioned.
Seed production shifts alongside changing needs
According to the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Aus rice seed production rose nearly 53% from 4,576.77 tonnes in FY21 to 6,999.91 tonnes in FY25. Aman seed production increased from 23,343.21 tonnes to 24,789.21 tonnes.
By contrast, production of Boro inbred and hybrid seeds fell from 65,443.86 tonnes to 52,720 tonnes. However, 59,547.21 tonnes of Boro seeds were distributed in FY25.
Naheed Zeba, also a genetics and plant breeding professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said improved seed varieties had made cultivation possible in drought-, salinity- and flood-affected areas, even where growing seasons were short.
Researchers are developing varieties suited to specific stresses through genetic modification and the combination of desirable traits, helping increase rice production, she said.
However, farmers cannot always expect the same yields when they save seeds from newly developed varieties and replant them, Zeba said. Agricultural agencies must therefore maintain a steady pipeline of improved seeds to sustain national production.
"Developing crops resistant to pests, drought, salinity and other stresses beyond rice would also help safeguard food security, nutritional value and food quality," she added.
According to DAE, the plan is to give each region the seed it needs, so rice keeps growing even where the land is smaller and the conditions harder.