A new study from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) has found significant growth in the country’s livestock, poultry and aquaculture sectors, leading to substantial increases in the production of fish, milk, meat and eggs.
According to the study, domestic aquaculture alone contributed to a total fish output of 4.706 million tonnes in the 2021–22 fiscal year. Despite this progress, Bangladesh remains heavily dependent on imports of wheat, pulses, edible oil, dairy products and several other essential food items, leaving the national food system exposed to global market volatility.
The research, titled “Perspectives on the Agrifood System in Bangladesh,” reveals that growth in the country’s agrifood system has begun to slow, with total factor productivity stabilising after years of improvement. Nearly half of the national workforce is still engaged in agriculture, which contributes nearly one-quarter of Bangladesh’s GDP.
The study’s key findings were presented today at a seminar held at the BIDS auditorium by the institute’s Research Director, Dr Mohammad Yunus. Planning Division Secretary S M Shakil Akhter attended the event as the chief guest. BIDS Director General Professor Dr A K Enamul Haque presided over the session, which was also joined by BIDS researchers, agricultural economists, academics and other experts.
The research notes that Bangladesh made rapid gains in land and labour productivity during the 2000s. However, the momentum has slowed due to stagnating crop yields, shrinking arable land and rising production costs. Climate change has now emerged as one of the most significant threats facing the sector.
Long-term modelling presented at the seminar indicates that rising temperatures and erratic rainfall are already affecting crop production. Yields of rice, wheat, vegetables, pulses and oilseeds are projected to decline gradually until 2050.
The study further reports that heat stress has become a major constraint on agricultural labour, reducing labour productivity by an estimated 11 percent and labour income by up to 20 percent in some regions.
Dr Yunus identified structural weaknesses in the production system as a key barrier to further growth. According to the research, after decades of strong progress, agricultural productivity in Bangladesh is losing momentum due to climate pressures, increasing input costs, land scarcity and inadequate diversification.
He noted that between 2012 and 2018, the cost of rice production increased by 3.45 percent annually, while the farmgate price rose by only 1.31 percent, reducing farmers’ profitability. He added that monopolistic control of the rice market by millers and traders continues to prevent farmers from receiving fair prices.
