USDA raises Bangladesh’s wheat import forecast
The United States Department of Agriculture has raised Bangladesh’s 2025-26 wheat import forecast by 7.4% to 72 lakh tonnes, citing stronger demand for food and industrial use. Lower global prices, per World Bank data, and policy shifts by India are expected to further support imports.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has raised its forecast for Bangladesh’s wheat imports by 7.4 percent to 72 lakh tonnes for the 2025-26 trade year ending in June, citing higher demand for food, seed and industrial use.
Earlier, the agency had projected wheat imports at 67 lakh tonnes. Bangladesh produces about 10 lakh tonnes of wheat annually, which meets only around 13 percent of the country’s estimated yearly consumption of 77 lakh tonnes.
In its latest Grain: World Markets and Trade report, released late last week, the USDA said global wheat trade has increased due to higher imports by the European Union, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, offsetting a decline in imports by Mexico.
“It is likely. Wheat prices have fallen in the international market, while rice prices remain high in the domestic market. As a result, wheat consumption is increasing,” said Taslim Shahriar, deputy general manager of Meghna Group of Industries, a major commodity processor and importer.
Global wheat prices have declined over the past two years. For example, US hard red wheat fell 42 percent to $219.6 per tonne in 2025 from $340.4 two years earlier, according to the latest commodity price data from the World Bank.
Shahriar said wheat prices may fall further after India eased export restrictions, which could encourage higher domestic consumption.
On Friday, India allowed the export of 25 lakh tonnes of wheat, along with an additional 500,000 tonnes each of wheat products and sugar, to support local growers amid protests over a trade deal between New Delhi and Washington, reports Reuters.
Last month, the food ministry’s Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU), in its quarterly Food Situation Report, also projected wheat imports could reach 72 lakh tonnes in the fiscal year 2025-26.
In the first half of the current fiscal year, the private sector imported 32.5 lakh tonnes of wheat, up 31 percent from the same period a year earlier, while public sector imports declined.
“There has been a substantial volume of imports, especially in December, as traders expected stability after the general election held on February 12 and a rise in demand for wheat-based food,” said Md Shafiul Ather Taslim, business director at TK Group of Industries, another major commodity processor.
He added that annual wheat imports usually range between 65 lakh tonnes and 70 lakh tonnes and are likely to remain within that range this year.
Including private sector purchases, Bangladesh imported 61.44 lakh tonnes of wheat in the fiscal year 2024-25, according to the FPMU report.
To Read more about Wheat News continue reading Agriinsite.com
Source : The Daily Star
