Reference Date: 12-February-2026

Cereal production estimated at below‑average level in 2025

Harvesting of the 2025 main cereal crops, which account for about 90 percent of the annual cereal output and consist mostly of rice and maize, finalized last December, while the minor winter and spring cereal crops, mainly wheat and barley, were harvested in the first half 2025. The 2025 aggregate cereal production is estimated at 73 000 tonnes, about 6 percent below the previous five-year average. The reduced output reflects the gradual decline in the planted area of rice and maize crops since 2017, driven by a shift in the use of land towards more profitable vegetables and cash crops as well as infrastructure development. However, yields of both crops are estimated at an average level, supported by generally favourable weather conditions throughout the cropping season. Localized crop losses occurred in several minor cereal producing areas, particularly in the southcentral districts of Thimphu and Punakha due to dry weather conditions in June and early July 2025. Last October, floods and landslides in southern and western parts of the country negatively affected crops, livestock and food stocks as well as caused damage to housing and infrastructures, including roads, bridges and schools.

Cereal import requirements forecast at above‑average level in 2025/26 marketing year

The country relies heavily on cereal imports, mostly from India, as local production covers only about two‑thirds of the national consumption needs. Cereal imports consist mostly of rice plus small quantities of maize and wheat. In the 2025/26 marketing year (July/June), total cereal import requirements are forecast at 174 000 tonnes, about 30 percent above the five-year average, reflecting the reduced domestic cereal output in 2024 and 2025 and the increasing levels of human consumption.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .