Dhaka:The government has announced a plan to provide agricultural incentives to 14.6 lakh farmers nationwide during the 2026-27 Robi season, aiming to enhance the cultivation and production of seven specific crops.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the initiative will see farmers receiving free seeds and fertilizers to cultivate mustard, groundnut, soybean, mung bean, lentil, khesari (grass pea), and pigeon pea. The government has allocated Taka 198.9 crore for this program, as per a government order issued by the Ministry of Agriculture on November 2.
Under the programme, mustard farmers will be the primary beneficiaries, with 12.9 lakh farmers expected to receive assistance. Additionally, 35,000 groundnut farmers, 30,000 soybean farmers, 30,000 mung bean farmers, 20,000 lentil farmers, 20,000 khesari farmers, and 5,000 pigeon pea farmers will also be covered.
Officials stated that the assistance would be drawn from the agricultural rehabilitation fund, with district-level committees tasked with distributing the allocated funds among upazilas. Local agricultural officials will be responsible for selecting genuine small and marginal farmers eligible for the program.
Each farming family is eligible for incentives for only one of the seven crops, preventing them from receiving support for multiple crops. The government has also outlined specific crop-wise quantities of seeds and fertilizers for cultivation on one bigha of land.
The program will be implemented through blocks consisting of at least 10 farmers cultivating a combined area of 10 bighas or more, with priority given to regions with potential for expanding crop cultivation. Authorities are required to record beneficiaries' national identity card numbers, mobile phone numbers, update agricultural cards, and obtain signatures or fingerprints as proof of receiving the inputs.
Beneficiary lists must be published on district and upazila websites, and implementation and crop-harvesting reports are to be submitted to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) within 10 working days of the respective activities.