Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to formally launch the Farmer Card on a pilot basis on April 14, coinciding with the first day of the Bangla New Year 1433. This initiative was confirmed during a review meeting at the Cabinet Division Conference Room in the Bangladesh Secretariat, chaired by the Prime Minister himself.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly revealed that a four-member secretary committee led by the finance secretary has been established to supervise the programme. Present at the meeting were key figures such as Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid, State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, and State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam.
Shibly explained that the Farmer Card is not merely a card but a symbol of the entitlements, dignity, and security of every farmer in the country. The card aims to prioritize and respect farmers, gradually delivering a range of services. These services include access to agricultural inputs at fair prices, government subsidies and incentives, affordable agricultural machinery, fairly priced irrigation facilities, easy-term agricultural loans, agricultural insurance benefits, and platforms for training and information.
Additionally, the Farmer Card will benefit not only crop-producing farmers but also fish farmers, livestock rearers, and dairy farmers. In the pre-piloting phase, data on all farmer categories will be collected, and Farmer Cards will be distributed in nine blocks across nine upazilas in eight divisions over the next 45 days.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under the Ministry of Agriculture will implement the programme, providing each landless, marginal, and small farmer with an average subsidy/agricultural input assistance of Taka 2,500. Specific financial grants for crop production during the Kharif-1 and Kharif-2 seasons will also be distributed.
The proposed upazilas for the pre-piloting phase include Tangail Sadar, Shibganj in Bogura, Panchagarh Sadar, Islampur in Jamalpur, Shailkupa in Jhenaidah, Nesarabad in Pirojpur, Juri in Moulvibazar, Cumilla Sadar, and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. Following the pre-piloting and piloting stages, the Farmer Card programme aims for nationwide implementation in all upazilas within the next four years.