The first advance estimate of 2018 paddy production was obtained on 19th November, 2018 using CRAFT, the CCAFS Regional Agricultural Forecasting Toolbox (see Methods on page 2). According to CRAFT, the total paddy production in 2018 is forecasted to be 5,482,634.12 MT, a 6.42 percent increase compared to the production level of 5,151,925 MT in 2017. The expected yield of paddy in the country is expected to be 3.8 MT per hectare. Furthermore, the forecasted figure is a 11.81 percent increase compared to the average production level of the last five years.