Sonali Bank Farmers’ Card 2026: Tk 2,500 Benefits, Which Upazilas Are Covered & How to Apply

The Farmers’ Card is a bank debit card and not a paper voucher. It is linked to a separate Sonali Bank account opened free of charge in each farmer’s name. The Department of Agricultural Extension’s rural transformation project was developed under the Ministry of Agriculture in coordination with Sonali Bank and Visa.

The card’s two primary functions are as a farmer identity credential and a digital payment tool, replacing the old subsidy system that was rife with corruption and rarely benefited real farmers. 

10 Benefits Under One Card

Cardholders gain access to:

1. Agricultural inputs (seeds, fertiliser, pesticides) at fair prices
2. Government subsidies and incentives — deposited directly to the account
3. Agricultural machinery and irrigation at affordable rates
4. Easy-term agricultural loans
5. Agricultural insurance
6. Ability to sell produce at fair market prices
7. Agricultural training programmes
8. Weather updates and crop forecasts
9. Pest and disease control advisory
10. Full integration with the national banking system

Who Gets the Tk 2,500 Benefit? 

Farmers are classified into five categories based on land size:

In the first phase, only landless, marginal, and small farmers receive the Tk 2,500 direct financial benefit. Medium and large farmers receive the card for access to services but are not included in the cash support tier initially.

Also eligible:

• Fishermen and fish farmers
• Livestock and dairy farmers
• Salt cultivators

Of the 22,065 farmers enrolled in the pre-pilot phase, approximately 93.7% are landless, marginal, or small farmers — the primary target group.

The benefit is Tk 2,500 annually (not monthly), disbursed directly into the farmer’s Sonali Bank account linked to the card.

Which 11 Upazilas Are Included in the Pre-Pilot Phase?

The pre-pilot covers 11 blocks across 11 upazilas in 10 districts:

Not in the list? The pilot phase will expand to 15 new upazilas by August 2026, followed by a nationwide rollout over four years covering all 1.65 crore farmers across Bangladesh.

How to Register for the Farmers’ Card

Registration for the pre-pilot phase is field-driven, where the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) collects farmer data through local office-level surveys. Here’s what you need to know:

Step 1 – Visit Your Local DAE Office

Visit the Upazila Agriculture Office. This is the main check-in point. DAE field staff collect data door-to-door in selected upazilas. If your area is covered, then an officer may have already contacted you.

Step 2 – Identify Your Type of Land

Bring documents to show the size of your land holding, which will determine which benefit tier you fall into. Your local Union Parishad chairman or DAE block supervisor can check your category.

Step 3 – Give the required information and documents

• NID card (compulsory, NID-linked card)
• Working mobile number
• Evidence of land ownership/tenant farming (land deed, lease agreement, UP certificate)
• Photograph (Passport Size)
• For fishermen/livestock farmers: proof of relevant activity or UP certificate

Step 4: Automatically opening a Sonali Bank account

DAE checks and feeds your data, and then Sonali Bank opens a separate account in your name at the nearest local branch free of cost. No branch visit is required at this stage.

Step 5 – Get your card

You are issued a Visa debit card with a QR code in your name. Some input dealer shops are being fitted with POS machines so that you can buy seeds, fertiliser and pesticides directly using the card.

Step 6 – Subsidy lands in your account

The government subsidy of Tk 2,500 is directly transferred to your Sonali Bank account linked to the card. There is no need to go through any dealer, broker or local middleman. 

Key Facts at a Glance

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Why This Card Matters

Bangladesh’s agricultural subsidy system has historically been plagued by leakage — benefits intercepted by dealers and brokers before reaching farmers. The Farmers’ Card directly addresses this by making every taka traceable. With Visa’s payment infrastructure and Sonali Bank’s rural branch network, the card creates Bangladesh’s first unified digital agricultural identity — one that will eventually link farmers to insurance, credit scores, weather alerts, and market pricing, all from a single card.

If your upazila is in the pre-pilot list, contact your local DAE office today. If not, register your interest and monitor official announcements for the August 2026 pilot expansion.

Summary

A Visa-powered digital debit card has been launched in Bangladesh to give landless, marginal and small farmers direct access to government subsidies, agricultural inputs, loans and services under one card. The Farmers’ Card is issued through Sonali Bank. Already over 22,000 farmers in 11 upazilas of 10 districts have signed up for the pre-pilot phase, which was launched on Pahela Baishakh (April 14, 2026) by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Eligible farmers get Tk 2,500 annually as direct financial support by direct deposit to their Sonali Bank account – no middlemen, no delay.