Preprint Article Version 1 This version is not peer-reviewed

Wheat Declining in Bangladesh: Considering Factors and Possible Solutions to Increase Its Production

Mohammad Nur Alam
* ORCID logo ,
Aminur Rahman
ORCID logo ,
Mohammad M Rahman
,
Mst. Masuma Akhter
ORCID logo ,
Imran Sakib
ORCID logo ,
Golam Faruq
ORCID logo ,
Ayman EL Sabagh
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 6 November 2024 / Approved: 7 November 2024 / Online: 7 November 2024 (16:49:20 CET)

How to cite: Alam, M. N.; Rahman, A.; Rahman, M. M.; Akhter, M. M.; Sakib, I.; Faruq, G.; EL Sabagh, A. Wheat Declining in Bangladesh: Considering Factors and Possible Solutions to Increase Its Production. Preprints 2024, 2024110576. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0576.v1 Alam, M. N.; Rahman, A.; Rahman, M. M.; Akhter, M. M.; Sakib, I.; Faruq, G.; EL Sabagh, A. Wheat Declining in Bangladesh: Considering Factors and Possible Solutions to Increase Its Production. Preprints 2024, 2024110576. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0576.v1

Abstract

Wheat has to face the effects of global warming standing on the thread worldwide, and competing with many crops in the Rabi season (15 Oct to 15 Mar). Wheat is Bangladesh’s second staple, meeting 13.6% of the country's cereal demand. However, despite an annual demand of 7.5 million metric tons (MMT), domestic wheat production in the 2023-24 season was only 1.19 MMT, covering just 15.9% of its demand and necessitating imports costing $2.21 billion. Demand continues to rise by 7-13% each year. Wheat production has declined from 1.99 in the 1998-99 season to 1.19 MMT in the 2023-24 season due to high crop competition with Boro rice, maize, mustard, and other crops during the Rabi season. Wheat production is reduced by other factors, such as low prices and insufficient mechanization, lack of time decision, etc. to purchase wheat grains by the government and businessmen which discourage framers from its cultivation. Expanding wheat cultivation with high-yielding stress-tolerant varieties in fallow lands and non-traditional areas would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, malnutrition, groundwater harvesting, etc. Our study aims to offer new insights to policymakers and national and international benevolent agencies regarding the reasons behind the decline in wheat production and potential strategies to increase it. Additionally, this content will provide guidelines for policymakers and other stakeholders on how to reduce severe malnutrition and minimize greenhouse gas emissions and groundwater harvesting, thereby supporting the implementation of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Keywords

crop competition; global warming; greenhouse gas emission; groundwater scarcity; wheat deficit; wheat production

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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