Bangladesh's rice production in the outgoing Boro (summer crop) season is expected to increase by at least 10 %, predicts the Ministry of Agriculture, terming this year’s rice output a ‘bumper crop’ despite earlier apprehensions.

This year Boro rice was cultivated on 4.3 million hectares of land, surpassing the initial estimate of 42 hectares, said the minister, referring to media reports that forecast a possible drop in Boro output due to the anticipated crisis of fertilizer and diesel.

The country grew 148 million MT of Boro rice in the 2004-05 fiscal year after the devastating flood in 2004. The statistics for this year’s Boro rice production will be available in three months, said ministry officials.