Bangladesh maize imports stay high as feed demand outpaces record harvest
Bangladesh is expected to remain a major maize buyer even as domestic production approaches a record level. Feed demand is keeping import requirements high, while forecasts differ on whether MY2027 purchases will reach 1.8 million tonnes or ease to 1.7 million tonnes.
Record crop does not eliminate the supply gap
Bangladesh’s maize industry is expanding on both sides of the market. Daily Sun reports that domestic production is expected to reach a record 6 million tonnes, while imports could rise to 1.8 million tonnes in marketing year 2027. The combination shows that a larger harvest is being absorbed by demand rather than displacing foreign grain.
The main source of that demand is the feed industry. Maize is a primary ingredient in poultry feed and is also used in aquaculture and cattle rations. Expansion in these sectors means feed mills need more grain even when local farmers deliver a record crop. Industrial demand has therefore turned maize into an increasingly important commercial crop for Bangladesh.
The import outlook is not uniform across available forecasts. While Daily Sun puts MY2027 imports at 1.8 million tonnes, the US Department of Agriculture forecasts 1.7 million tonnes for MY2026/27. The USDA figure is 5.5% below its estimate of 1.8 million tonnes for MY2025/26, reflecting higher domestic production and larger beginning stocks. The forecasts differ by 100,000 tonnes, but both indicate continued dependence on substantial foreign supply.
Feed mills reshape the import market
USDA estimates that Bangladesh’s MY2025/26 maize imports will be 27.2% above the previous marketing year. Lower international prices encouraged traders and feed companies to purchase and stockpile grain. In the first 10 months of MY2025/26, the country imported nearly 1.5 million tonnes, according to trade data cited by USDA.
Supplier shares have also changed. The Daily Star, citing USDA, reports that Brazil provided 78% of imports during those 10 months. The United States and India each supplied 11%. India had traditionally benefited from competitive prices, shorter delivery times and established logistics, but its exportable surplus has declined as domestic maize-based biofuel production has grown.
The United States returned to the Bangladeshi maize market in MY2025/26 for the first time since 2018. Three Bangladeshi feed companies initiated purchases, and total US shipments reached about 160,000 tonnes. The renewed trade gives importers another origin while strengthening competition among Brazil, India and the United States.
Domestic growers gain, but importers remain necessary
Strong feed demand is supporting maize cultivation. The Daily Star reports that farmers can earn returns of about three times their production costs, while maize requires lower input costs than boro rice and vegetables grown in the same season. Those economics encourage farmers to allocate more land and resources to the crop.
For feed mills and grain traders, however, the record harvest does not remove procurement risk. The difference between domestic output and the industry’s expanding requirements must still be covered by imports and inventories. A forecast range of 1.7 million to 1.8 million tonnes for MY2027 leaves Bangladesh exposed to global maize prices, ocean freight and availability in Brazil, India and the United States. Domestic production growth may moderate import volumes, but feed-sector expansion is likely to keep foreign grain central to the market.
