43 lakh farmers to get farmer cards this year

As many as 43 lakh farmers will get farmer cards this year, while 1,10,165 farmers are being brought under the first phase of the programme, Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said on Wednesday (September 30).

He made the remarks while briefing journalists after inspecting the venue of a programme at the Fulghazi Government Pilot High School field in Feni.

The minister said the database of 43 lakh farmers was being prepared under the pilot phase after successful completion of the pre-pilot programme. Of the 1,10,165 farmers covered in the first phase, 1,00,047 will receive Tk 2,500 each as agricultural input assistance on Thursday (October 1). In Feni, 7,643 farmers will receive printed copies of the farmer card.

The programme will connect 77 upazilas in 56 districts, with direct connections to 13 upazilas and the remaining 64 joining virtually.

The government plans to bring all farmers under the farmer card programme within the next two and a half to three years, the minister said.

The farmer card programme aims to facilitate farmers' access to government assistance and support them in purchasing agricultural inputs, he added.