Govt plans to roll out smart ‘Farmer Card’ nationwide: Info Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan on Monday announced that the government has decided to introduce a smart “Farmer Card” for farmers across Bangladesh, alongside the previously announced “Family Card,” to ensure direct and transparent delivery of services.

Speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting at the Cabinet meeting room of the Bangladesh Secretariat, Zahir Uddin Swapan said the initiative would be implemented in line with the Prime Minister’s directive and rolled out as quickly as possible.

“The Prime Minister has instructed all relevant ministries to immediately begin the process of distributing smart farmer cards,” he said, adding that the programme would start with a pilot project before being expanded nationwide in phases.

According to the minister, the smart card system is designed to establish direct communication between farmers and the government, eliminating the role of intermediaries in the procurement of agricultural inputs and services.

“Through this card, farmers will receive government services directly. The interference of middlemen in agricultural input supply will be stopped,” he said.

Zahir Uddin Swapan noted that the decision to introduce the smart farmer card had been taken earlier, and Monday’s meeting marked the first formal step towards its implementation. Ministers of the relevant ministries were present at the meeting, which was presided over by the Prime Minister.

Explaining the benefits of the initiative, he said all production-related facilities would be integrated into a smart system. Farmers would receive direct government support in areas such as agricultural advisory services, access to modern machinery, fertiliser, pesticides, quality seeds and other essential inputs.

In addition, farmers would have access to real-time information on market prices, production forecasts and weather updates, enabling them to make informed decisions.

“This will help farmers plan better, and it will also enable the state to formulate policies more effectively,” said the minister.

Emphasising transparency, he said the government is moving towards a fully digital system to prevent leakage and ensure accountability. Eventually, all farmers in the country will be brought under the scheme, subject to logistical readiness and preparatory work.