Govt to launch Farmers Card pilot tomorrow

The government will launch the pilot phase of the Farmers Card programme tomorrow, distributing the much-talked-about cards to more than 100,000 landless, marginal and small farmers.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will distribute the cards, which offer agricultural inputs at fair prices and affordable irrigation services, at a programme at the Fulgazi Government Pilot High School grounds in Feni, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid said today.

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The prime minister will also distribute Family Cards to poor and low-income families and hand over honorariums to mosque imams, temple priests and representatives of other religious institutions at the event.

In Feni district, 7,643 farmers will receive Farmers Cards under the pilot scheme, which will run until December this year. The remaining cards will be distributed among farmers in 13 other districts through video conferences.

Each Farmers Card carries benefits worth Tk 2,500 for agricultural inputs.

The government began distributing Farmers Cards on Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla year, following the completion of a pre-pilot phase. The initiative is one of the government's major election pledges made ahead of the polls held in February this year.

So far, 20,832 farmers in 10 districts have received the cards as part of the government's broader plan to bring approximately 2.40 crore farmers nationwide under the programme.

For the 2026-27 fiscal year, the government has set a target of enrolling 43 lakh farmers under the pilot phase. As of the third week of September, data collection had been completed for more than 18.46 lakh farmers, according to the agriculture ministry.

The remaining farmers will be brought under the programme gradually, the ministry said.

The initiative is being implemented in three stages: pre-pilot, pilot and nationwide expansion. Under the programme, eligible landless, marginal and small farmers will receive Tk 2,500 directly in their bank accounts.

According to the agriculture ministry, seven of the 10 Farmers Card services outlined in the government's election manifesto will be introduced. These include digital disbursement of incentives; access to fertiliser, seeds and pesticides; feed for fisheries, poultry and livestock; agricultural loans on easy terms; and irrigation support.

Farmers holding the cards will be able to purchase or receive designated goods and services from nearby dealers, sales centres or service centres.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Aminur said the programme aims to help farmers access agricultural inputs and make government support for agricultural development more accessible.