3.77 Crore Individuals Experience Food Insecurity

Bangladesh's tea exports jumped 57.55% in 2024, reaching 2.45 million kilograms and generating Tk45.96 crore in revenue. This marks a strong recovery from previous years when export volumes had dropped below 1 million kgs.

Bangladesh has launched its first-ever “Soy Month” to promote awareness of soybean’s nutritional and economic value, in collaboration with the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC). The initiative, inaugurated at BPICC headquarters, highlights soybean's role in food security, livestock development, and as a key protein source.

Despite persistent high inflation exceeding 9%, Bangladesh’s public food distribution under social protection schemes dropped by over 7% year-on-year in the first three quarters of FY2024-25, mainly due to political instability and disruptions in local governance. This reduction—from 25.34 lakh tonnes last year to 23.46 lakh tonnes—comes as rising prices continue to strain the poor.

Rice prices in Bangladesh have been rising despite a global decline. The FAO All Rice Price Index dropped by 1.7% in March 2025, down nearly 25% over the past year, reaching a three-year low. However, in Bangladesh, rice prices increased from July-August 2024, peaking just before Eid-ul-Fitr.

The price of Miniket rice has surged due to an 80% decline in its production over the past month, driven by a severe shortage of the required paddy. Over the last two weeks, prices have risen from Tk72-74 per kg to Tk84-86 per kg in retail markets.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has reduced the source tax on imported fresh fruits, including oranges, malta, grapes, apples, and pears, from 10 percent to 5 percent to stabilize domestic prices during Ramadan.