Bangladesh oilseeds production on rise
In Bangladesh, oilseed production is expected to grow in the 2025-26 marketing year, driven by rising demand for feed and edible oils. The country’s total oilseed harvest is forecast at 1.84 million tonnes, with rapeseeds at 1.4 million tonnes and soybeans at 160,000 tonnes. Soybean crushing is set to increase due to higher feed demand, with imports also rising to 2.4 million tonnes. The Ministry of Agriculture aims to reduce edible oil imports by boosting local oilseed production.
DHAKA, BANGLADESH : With increasing feed and edible oilseeds demand in Bangladesh, oilseeds production and crush in marketing year 2025-26 is expected to continue growing as well, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.
Oilseed crop production includes mustard/rapeseed, sesame, groundnut (peanut), sunflower, and soybeans in the South Asian nation of about 171 million people. The FAS said the country continues to expand domestic oilseed production with a total harvest forecast at 1.84 million tonnes in 2025-26, up from 1.74 million tonnes year on year. Rapeseeds are seen at 1.4 million tonnes, while soybeans are projected to reach 160,000 tonnes.
“Over the past few years, soybean acreage has steadily increased, particularly in the coastal districts of Bangladesh, driven by favorable weather conditions during the growing season, improved marketing opportunities and higher profitability,” the FAS said.
The common oilseed meals produced and utilized in Bangladesh are soybean meal and rapeseed/mustard meal. The feed industry uses them as major protein sources in their feed formulations. More livestock and aquaculture producers are switching to complex feed, and animal feed consumption is forecast at 7.5 million tonnes in 2025-26.
Soybean crushing is expected to increase in 2025-26 as feed production continues to grow, the FAS said. Recently, commercial poultry farms have expanded their operations, and some large private feed companies have begun contract farming for poultry production. The use of formulated feed in aquaculture also has increased.
Crushers supply around 40% of soybean oil and 60% of soybean meal requirements. The FAS forecasts 2025-26 whole soybean crushing at 2.4 million tonnes, up 9.1% compared to the 2024-25 estimate, on increased demand for soybean oil and soybean meal.
The FAS also sees 2025-26 total soybean imports at 2.4 million tonnes, up 9.1% from the current marketing year estimate, to meet the rising demand for poultry, aquaculture and dairy feed. Soybean meal makes up around 30% of feed ingredients used in Bangladesh.
To reduce the import dependency of edible oil, the Ministry of Agriculture is focused on increasing oilseed production, the FAS said. For 2025-26, the FAS forecasts the rapeseed/mustard harvested area at 1.1 million hectares and production at 1.5 million tonnes, up 5.8% and 7.4%, respectively, over the 2024-25 estimates.
Bangladesh usually imports rapeseed to blend with mustard seed during the crushing process to produce oil, that is then marketed as mustard oil. Rapeseed imports are expected to be 330,000 tonnes, down 5.7% from the previous year, based on the estimated higher domestic production.
The FAS is forecasting 2025-26 rapeseed/mustard meal production at 970,000 tonnes, up 2.1% from the 2024-25 estimate. With high domestic production of rapeseed/mustard along with some imported seed, the industry is expected to sustain increased levels of crushing.
“As the overall demand for edible oil continues to rise in Bangladesh, the demand for mustard oil is also increasing,” the FAS said.
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Source : World Grain.com
