News Flash
DHAKA, April 12, 2026 (BSS) - Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister
Mohammed Aminur Rashid today said primarily 22,065 farmers are getting
Farmers' Card or Krishi Card across the country aiming to bring the country's
agriculture, fisheries and livestock under a smart database.
"Farmers Cards will be given among 22,065 farmers under 11 upazilas of 10
districts across the country in the first phase," he said.
The agriculture minister said this in a press conference at the PID
conference room at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting here.
Prime Minister (PM) Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the card distribution
ceremony in Tangail during the Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bengali New
Year.
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 were also present at the press
briefing.
At the outset of the meeting, the minister recalled the name of BNP
Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia with deep respect.
"Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given a clear outline to ensure overall
development of the agriculture and safe food along with increasing socio-
economic status and ensuring financial inclusion of the farmers in the
electoral manifestoes disclosed by the BNP," he said, adding that the main
target of it [electoral manifesto] is to develop a self-reliant climate
tolerant technology-based and agriculture-based modern farming system.
The production and marketing will be held under this technology-based modern
farming system, the minister told the briefing.
Since agriculture is a key driving force of the national economy, he said the
prime minister has included the Krishi Card distribution for each farmer
under the purview government's priority programme aiming at empowering the
farmers.
The main goal of launching the Krishi card is to ensure the financial
inclusion of the farmers and building a corruption-free society through
digitalisation of the agriculture sector, Rashid said.
For distribution of the Krishi Card, he said the farmers have been
categorized in five segments according to the land ownership which includes
landless, marginal, small, medium and big farmers.
The Krishi Card will be distributed among all the farmers of the country in
phases. The card distribution will be implemented in three stages like pre-
piloting, piloting and nationwide programme.
Under the piloting phase, Aminur Rashid said along with the crop producing
farmers, the programme also has included fish farmers, fishermen and
livestock farmers, landless, marginal, small and big farmers located in 11
blocks under 11 upazilas of 10 districts under the eight divisions across the
country.
Under the pre-piloting phase, the Farmers' Cards will be distributed among
the farmers of the selected districts and blocks like Kamlapur block of
Panchagarh Sadar upazila, Uthli block under Shibganj upazila of Bogura
district, Kripalpur block under Shailokupa upazila of Jenaidah district,
Rajabari block under Nesarabad upazila of Pirojpur district,
Rajarchara block under Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar district, Aryannapur
block under Cumilla Adarsha Sadar upazila, Suruj block under Tangail Sadar
upazila, Tenapocha block under Goalanda upazila of Rajbari district, Fultala
block under Juri upazila of Moulvibazar district, Panchpir block under Goda
upazila of Panchagarh district and Gaibandha block under Islampur upazila of
Jamalpur district.
Rashid said farmers, fish farmers, livestock farmers and salt farmers of
these 11 blocks will get the Farmers' Card.
Terming the Krishi Card as a banking debit card, the agriculture minister
said bank accounts have been opened in the name of the concerned farmers
against this card at the local branch offices of the state-owned Sonali Bank.
At the press briefing, he noted that all the required information of a total
22,065 farmers has been collected till April 11, this year. Of the farmers,
46 are landless, 9,458 are marginal, 896 are small, 1,303 are medium and 51
big farmers.
Of the verified farmers, 2,141 are crop producers, 66 are fishermen, 85
livestock farmers, three are salt farmers and 20,631 are landless, marginal
and small farmers which are 93.7 percent of the total farmers.
The landless, marginal and small farmers will get Taka 2,500 as cash directly
through the card annually under the piloting phase.
Under the card, the farmers will get incentives and services along with
purchasing of various agricultural inputs including fertilizer, fisheries and
animal feed by using the 'POS print sale machine' provided to the concerned
dealers.
The monetary cost for the pre-piloting programme will be Taka 4.34 crore.
The piloting programme will be concluded in 15 upazilas across the country
until this year after successfully concluding the pre-piloting programme.
After the piloting, the government has a plan to complete the card
distribution and database preparation step by step in light of the experience
of the piloting programme in the next four years across the country.
On the first day of Baishakh, the beginning of Bengali New Year, the
inauguration of Farmers' Card distribution will be held under the pre-
piloting phase.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the opening of the card at
Maruf stadium of Shahidpur in Tangail on that day.
Excluding the Aryannapur block under Adarsha Sadar upazila of Cumilla
district, the Farmers' Card will be distributed among the farmers located at
nine blocks across the country.
The farmers' card will be distributed at this block on April 17, this year.
Although agriculture is a respectable and dignified profession and this
Krishi Card distribution will also more glorify the dignity of the farmers,
said the minister.
The card will ensure all the legal services of the farmers and more new time-
appropriate services also will be added through this card.
Highlighting the agriculture sector as the economic backbone of the country,
Aminur Rashid said the future of the country is now in the hands of the
farmers and the government is working to restore the land fertility, soil
properties and diversity of the crops.
"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," the minister concluded.
