Bangladesh wheat imports to rise amid declining production and growing demand

from local food processors, stable international prices, and reliable global supplies. Wheat, the second most popular staple after rice, serves as an alternative amid high rice prices, further boosting demand for flour. The Bangladeshi government plans to import up to 700,000 tonnes of wheat from the United States, with agreements for 220,000 tonnes already finalized as of August 2025. The private sector, which imported around 5.8 million tonnes in the 2024/25 marketing year, with the government covering the rest, will continue to dominate trade. State purchases aim to stock public granaries for social programs, facilitated through international tenders or government-to-government deals. For 2024/25, the import estimate has been revised to 6.24 million tonnes based on data from the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture, reflecting steady trade growth. Domestic wheat production continues to decline: for 2025/26, forecasts indicate a harvested area of 290,000 hectares and production ...