A total of 22,065 farmers will receive ‘Farmers Cards’ as a new government initiative begins on Pahela Baishakh, aiming to modernise agricultural support services across Bangladesh.
Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid confirmed the number of the recipients on Sunday at a press conference at the Information Department conference room in Secretariat.
He said that the programme will be formally inaugurated at Shaheed Maruf Stadium in Tangail on a pre-pilot basis, marking the first phase of the nationwide rollout.
The initiative is designed not only to provide financial assistance but also to integrate farmers into a digital service system. Each beneficiary will receive Tk2,500 annually through the card.
Issued via Sonali Bank, the Farmers Card will function as a debit-card-like tool, enabling farmers to purchase fertiliser, seeds, fish feed and livestock feed. It will also provide access to agricultural loans, subsidies, insurance schemes, training facilities, advisory services, weather forecasts and market price updates.
According to the Agriculture Ministry, the majority of beneficiaries are landless, marginal and small farmers, who together make up around 93.7 per cent of the selected group. This includes 2,246 landless farmers, 9,458 marginal farmers and 8,967 small farmers.
It was known that the programme will initially cover selected upazilas across 10 districts in all eight divisions of the country, with distribution starting on Pahela Baishakh in most areas. In Cumilla’s Adarsha Sadar Upazila, the rollout is scheduled for 17 April.
If the pilot phase is successful, authorities plan to expand the programme to more upazilas by August 2026, with eventual nationwide coverage.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to build a centralized digital database for farmers and improve efficiency in agricultural service delivery across the country.
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