Increased Rabi-season crop production in southern Bangladesh could help meet the country's growing food demand. This paper reports on an assessment of the economic viability of wheat and other Rabi-season crops based on farmer surveys of crop yields and economic performance. In addition, it considers the agroeconomic and socioeconomic factors that influence farmers' choice of Rabi-season crops. Current Rabi-season crops in southern Bangladesh include boro rice and vegetable production on lands with irrigation facilities. A range of other crops are grown, with and without irrigation, including chilli, potato, grasspea, chickpea, mungbean and soybean. Although farmers in some southern regions had grown wheat in the past, wheat is not a significant crop across the region. The recent increased interest in wheat in some villages corresponded to project activities of a development project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and specifically to the availability of newly released varieties with higher yield potential and disease resistance. In those villages where project trials were conducted, irrespective of seasonal conditions, wheat-based rotations provided higher gross margins than the alternative crops of chilli and cowpea. Even in a relatively poor season, wheat offered a significantly higher gross margin and thus lower risk than the other crops. However, the crop establishment costs of wheat are high and wheat requires at least one irrigation when many farmers lack any irrigation facilities. Formal education, off-farm income and farming experience are the socioeconomic factors that displayed significant positive correlation to the surveyed farmers' decision to adopt wheat production. This study confirmed the economic viability of Rabi cropping in southern Bangladesh. While the crops currently grown in the Rabi season are profitable under most seasonal conditions, this study confirmed that wheat offers farmers a profitable and low-risk option.
