Bangladesh will need $951 million by June 2025 to cover payments for foodgrain and fertiliser imports, ensuring the country’s food security.
Three key ministries—the Ministry of Food, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industries—presented this dollar requirement in a meeting with the Finance Adviser on March 16, 2025.
Foodgrain Imports
The Ministry of Food reported that $351.6 million is required by June 2025 for rice and wheat imports. The government plans to import 350,000 tonnes of rice and 700,000 tonnes of wheat in the fiscal year 2024-25.
As of January 2025, the Directorate of Food has already procured 311,000 tonnes of wheat and 253,000 tonnes of rice.
To settle outstanding dues, $43.24 million remains unpaid for rice procurement and an additional $255.17 million is needed to import the remaining rice.
For wheat, $18.72 million in dues remains unpaid. Another $34.47 million is required for wheat imports by June 30.
The agricultural subsidy to be revised Tk 25,644 crore from original Tk 17,533 crore in the current fiscal.
Fertiliser Imports
The demand for urea fertiliser in the current fiscal year is projected to decline to 15.6 million tonnes, down from 17.48 metric tonnes in the previous fiscal year.
The government will spend $598 million on urea imports this fiscal year, a decrease from $643 million in the previous year. By June 2025, 3.30 million tonnes of urea will be imported at a cost of $132 million.
For non-urea fertilisers, the government spent $1.04 billion last fiscal year. By June 2025, an estimated $399.67 million will be required for the import of TSP, DAP, and MOP fertilisers. Additionally, $69.28 million will be needed for raw materials for TSP and DAP.
Looking ahead, the government projects the import of 13.5 million tonnes of urea fertilizer at a cost of $540 million, along with $171 million for TSP and DAP raw materials in the next fiscal year.