Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid has announced that farmers will receive an annual incentive of BDT 2,500 through farmer cards. In the pre-piloting phase, 20,671 farmers across 10 districts will benefit from the initiative.
He disclosed this information at a press conference held on Sunday at the Information Department conference room in the Secretariat, organised to discuss the distribution of farmer cards.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally launch the programme on Pohela Boishakh at Shaheed Maruf Stadium in Tangail, the minister said. On the same day, 20,671 farmers, fishers, livestock rearers, and salt cultivators from 11 upazilas in 10 districts will receive the cards.
Farmers have been categorised into five groups based on land ownership: landless, marginal, small, medium, and large, according to the minister. The card distribution programme will be implemented in three phases — pre-piloting, piloting, and nationwide rollout.
In the pre-piloting phase, beneficiaries from 11 blocks in 10 districts across eight divisions have been included. Alongside crop farmers, fish farmers, livestock rearers, dairy farmers, and, where applicable, salt cultivators are also part of the programme.
The minister further explained that the card functions as a banking debit card. Bank accounts have been opened in the names of the selected farmers at local branches of Sonali Bank.
As of yesterday, data for 22,065 farmers had been collected. Among them, 2,246 are landless, 9,458 marginal, 8,967 small, 1,303 medium, and 91 large farmers. The list also includes 66 fishers, 855 livestock farmers, and 3 salt cultivators. Of the 20,671 selected beneficiaries, 93.7 percent belong to the landless, marginal, and small farmer categories.
Through this card, farmers will receive BDT 2,500 annually as direct financial support. They will also be able to purchase fertiliser, seeds, fish feed, and livestock feed using machines through authorised dealers.
The pre-piloting phase has been allocated a budget of BDT 83.4 million. If this phase proves successful, a pilot programme will be launched in 15 upazilas by next August. The government plans to complete nationwide distribution of the cards and develop a comprehensive database within four years.
The minister said the card will bring the agriculture, fisheries, and livestock sectors under a data-driven system. This is expected to reduce fertiliser wastage and facilitate demand-based crop production.
At the press conference, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Agriculture Secretary Rafiqul Islam Mohammad, and Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Delwar Hossain were present.
The districts selected for the pre-piloting phase are Panchagarh, Bogura, Jhenaidah, Pirojpur, Cox’s Bazar, Cumilla, Tangail, Rajbari, Moulvibazar, and Jamalpur. The cards will be distributed gradually across selected blocks in these districts.
Through the agriculture card, farmers will gain access to agricultural inputs at fair prices, irrigation facilities, easy loans, low-cost machinery, government incentives, weather information, training, pest control advice, insurance services, and opportunities to sell their produce at fair market prices.