During this monitoring period, most major rice-producing countries in the equatorial region are experiencing the dry season, with only Indonesia in its rainy season. Dry-season rice cultivation holds significant agricultural and economic importance for equatorial nations, as it allows for optimal land use after the rainy season, thereby increasing per-unit-area yields. Consequently, dry-season rice not only boosts food supply but also enhances agricultural resilience, playing a crucial role in ensuring food security and promoting rural economic development in these countries. Typically, dry-season rice is cultivated on river alluvial plains, such as the Mekong Delta, where water sources remain relatively stable, enabling irrigation to support crop growth even during the dry season.

     With global population growth and rising rice demand, countries are striving to secure their food cultivation areas. In 2025, the overall rice cultivation area in the equatorial region expanded by 1.2% compared to 2024, with the primary growth occurring in India and Bangladesh. The equatorial region as a whole faces adverse climatic factors, such as reduced precipitation and rising temperatures, and some areas have suffered severe agricultural damage due to tropical cyclones, leading to a decline in per-hectare yields in most countries. However, thanks to favorable hydrothermal conditions during the season, India—the country with the largest rice cultivation area—is the only nation to achieve significant growth in both cultivation area and per-hectare yield, with its cultivation area increasing by 3.6% and its yield rising by 6.9%, thereby driving a 2.7% increase in total regional rice production. Although Bangladesh achieved a 1.6% increase in cultivation area, poor agro-climatic conditions led to a decline in per-hectare yield, resulting in a reduction in dry-season rice total production compared to 2024.

Overall, the outlook for dry-season rice production in the equatorial region in 2025 exhibits significant regional disparities: India shows a clear trend of increasing production, whereas other countries generally face declines in both cultivation area and yield. Southeast Asia, as one of the world’s key rice-producing regions, will continue to closely monitor changes in the dry-season rice production situation as well as the progress of rice development during the rainy season.

Figure 1.6  Spatial Distribution Map of Dry Season Rice Cultivation in Equatorial Countries from October 2024 to January 2025

Table 1.1  Dry Season Rice Cultivation Area, Yield per Unit Area, and Total Production in Equatorial Countries from October 2024 to January 2025