Dhaka: Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid today announced that 22,065 farmers will be the first recipients of the Farmers’ Card, or Krishi Card, as part of a national initiative to create a comprehensive smart database for agriculture, fisheries, and livestock sectors. “Farmers’ Cards will be given among 22,065 farmers under 11 upazilas of 10 districts across the country in the first phase,” Rashid stated at a press conference held at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to inaugurate the card distribution ceremony in Tangail during Pahela Baishakh, marking the beginning of the Bengali New Year. The event will also be attended by PM’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Ministries Professor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Agriculture Secretary Dr. Rafiqul I Mohamed, and Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Md Delwar Hossain. Minister Rashid emphasized that the Krishi Card initiative is part of a broader electoral manifesto to enhance agricultural development, ensure financial inclusion, and promote a self-reliant, technology-driven farming system.
The Krishi Card aims to empower farmers by ensuring financial inclusion and creating a corruption-free society through the digitalization of agriculture. Farmers will be categorized based on land ownership, including landless, marginal, small, medium, and big farmers, and the cards will be distributed in three stages: pre-piloting, piloting, and nationwide rollout.
Under the pre-piloting phase, the Krishi Card will be distributed in select districts and blocks, including Kamlapur in Panchagarh Sadar, Uthli in Bogura, Kripalpur in Jenaidah, and several others. A total of 22,065 farmers have been verified, comprising various categories such as crop producers, fishermen, livestock farmers, and salt farmers. Notably, 93.7% of the recipients are landless, marginal, and small farmers.
Each cardholder will receive Taka 2,500 annually and can use the card to access incentives, services, and purchase agricultural inputs like fertilizers and animal feed through POS machines. The pre-piloting phase will cost Taka 4.34 crore, with plans for the piloting and subsequent nationwide rollout over the next four years.
Minister Rashid highlighted the significance of the agriculture sector as the backbone of the economy and reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring land fertility and enhancing crop diversity. “This card will help to bring the country’s agriculture, fisheries, and livestock under a smart database and will be helpful to curb fertilizer wastage, demand-wise crop production, and bring farmers’ compensation to the government’s attention,” he concluded.