Visa powers Bangladesh’s Farmers Card to advance financial inclusion, digitisation of economy

Visa, a global leader in digital payments, on Tuesday welcomed the Bangladesh government’s flagship Farmers Card launch by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The Farmers Card is exclusively on the Visa card network. This marks a significant step toward strengthening financial inclusion and digitising subsidy disbursement for farmers across the country. Developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with Sonali Bank PLC, the Visa-powered Farmers Card integrates farmer identification with secure digital payment capabilities to facilitate more efficient access to government services and benefits.

Launched on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh, the Farmers Card reflects the government’s continued focus on modernising agricultural support systems, as part of its broader national development priorities. Designed primarily as a farmer identity credential, the card facilitates authenticated access to subsidies and services, with Visa’s trusted payments technology enabling a seamless and secure cashless ecosystem.

Sabbir Ahmed, Visa Country Manager of Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, said, “This is a proud moment for Bangladesh, as the Farmers Card initiative brings together identity, access, and digital payments to serve the farming communities better in Bangladesh. By empowering them with a more transparent and efficient system, it opens new opportunities for farmers to participate in the growing digital economy. Visa is honored to support the Government of Bangladesh in partnership with Sonali Bank PLC in advancing the critical national priority of digitising the economy.”

In its pre-pilot phase, the programme enrolls around 22,065 farmers across selected upazilas, where the government’s financial assistance is being disbursed directly into bank accounts linked to the card.

On the same day, 20,671 farmers, fishers, livestock rearers, and salt cultivators from 11 upazilas in 10 districts will receive the cards. At this stage, eligible farmers are receiving initial support of approximately Tk2,500 as direct financial support to meet essential agricultural input needs. This would enable farmers to use the card to purchase essential agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, supporting a more efficient and targeted subsidy utilization.

Highlighting the importance of strengthening financial access for farmers, Md Shawkat Ali Khan, Managing Director and CEO of Sonali Bank PLC, added, “Through the Farmers Card initiative, we are strengthening how financial support is delivered to farmers across Bangladesh. By linking banking services directly with government programs, the process becomes more efficient, transparent, and accessible for farming communities. This partnership reflects our continued commitment to supporting national development and expanding access to formal financial services.”

The programme is being introduced across 11 selected upazilas, including Tangail Sadar, Shibganj (Bogura), Panchagarh Sadar, Boda, Islampur (Jamalpur), Shailkupa (Jhenaidah), Nesarabad (Pirojpur), Juri (Moulvibazar), Cumilla Sadar, Goalanda (Rajbari), and Teknaf (Cox’s Bazar). Through this scheme, cardholding farmers will receive 10 types of benefits. These are: agricultural inputs at fair prices, irrigation facilities at fair prices, agricultural loans on easy terms, access to agricultural machinery at low cost, government subsidies and incentives, weather forecasts and market information via mobile phone, agricultural training, advice on controlling crop diseases and pests, agricultural insurance facilities, and the opportunity to sell agricultural products at fair prices.

Visa, as the exclusive international payments network supporting this high-priority national programme, brings global expertise in secure digital payments to help strengthen Bangladesh’s financial infrastructure. The Farmers Card initiative represents a scalable model for integrating identity and payments in public sector programmes with potential applications across other emerging markets.