Dhaka: Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid informed Parliament on Tuesday that the government has introduced a series of “realistic and timely” initiatives aimed at enhancing agricultural production and offering comprehensive support to farmers nationwide.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the minister addressed a starred question from ruling party lawmaker Reza Ahammed (Kushtia-1), emphasizing Bangladesh’s focus on food security and improving farmers’ living standards as essential for driving economic growth. In alignment with election pledges, a pre-piloting program has been launched to provide Tk 2,500 per farmer in incentives, distributed via farmer cards to assist landless, marginal, and small-scale farmers with essential inputs like fertilizers and seeds.
Minister Rashid announced that Tk 700 crore has been allocated for the agricultural rehabilitation and incentive program in the current 2025-26 fiscal year, with Tk 401.60 crore already benefiting approximately 2.522 million farmers through free seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. Additionally, the government has eased the financial burden on farmers by waiving agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000 per person, a move costing Tk 1,550 crore and benefiting nearly 1.2 million farmers.
Highlighting a significant irrigation project, the minister referenced the canal excavation initiative inspired by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, with plans to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals nationwide. This project aims to improve irrigation and boost agricultural yields.
To ensure the availability of essential supplies, the government has heavily subsidized fertilizers and irrigation electricity. For the current fiscal year, 2.6 million metric tons of Urea, 0.95 million metric tons of TSP, 1.05 million metric tons of MOP, and 1.685 million metric tons of DAP have been supplied at subsidized rates.
To combat post-harvest losses, the government has constructed 180 mini cold storages for fruits and vegetables, alongside 703 model potato storage houses and 800 model onion storage facilities throughout the country. The minister concluded by noting these policies have led to a steady increase in the production of rice, maize, potatoes, and vegetables, reinforcing the government’s commitment to sustaining agricultural growth.