[🇧🇩] Agriculture in Bangladesh

[Saif]

New mechanised irrigation promises less water, labour

Not all crops require flood irrigation, and using it on wheat, corn, onions, garlic, sugarcane, and other winter crops causes water wastage and may even harm the crop itself. To address this, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is testing a centre-pivot irrigation system...

www.thedailystar.net

New mechanised irrigation promises less water, labour

Trials underway for country’s first centre-pivot irrigation

By Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu

Centre-pivot irrigation at Muladuli farm, Ishwardi, Pabna, where BADC is trialling this mechanised system that mimics rainfall to water non-paddy crops efficiently, saving water, cutting labour and costs, and boosting yields. The photo was taken recently. Photo: Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu

Not all crops require flood irrigation, and using it on wheat, corn, onions, garlic, sugarcane, and other winter crops causes water wastage and may even harm the crop itself. To address this, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is testing a centre-pivot irrigation system to deliver water precisely to maintain optimal soil moisture.

Widely used in Europe and other developed regions, centre-pivot irrigation involves a long, wheeled pipe rotating around a central pivot to water fields in a circular pattern. Water flows from the central pivot through the lateral pipe, supported by towers on wheels, and sprinklers distribute it evenly over crops, similar to natural rainfall. The distance between two adjacent towers, called the span, is typically 45-60 metres, though it can be longer in larger systems.

The system reduces labour, ensures uniform water application, and can be automated, making it suitable for large-scale farming, with the irrigated area depending on the pivot arm length. However, it is unsuitable for paddy fields, which need flood irrigation.

“Paddy fields need flood irrigation, but crops like onions and wheat need light, regular watering, similar to rainfall,” said Faisal Ahmed, executive engineer of BADC in Pabna. “During winter, rainfall is scarce, so farmers often use flood irrigation, wasting water. With the centre-pivot system, we can supply only what the field needs. This is an automated irrigation technology.”

BADC installed the first system at Muladuli agriculture farm in Ishwardi, Pabna, covering over 400 bighas, and a second at Bhabanipur sugarcane farm in Natore. The government-funded trial uses Austrian technology and cost around Tk 4 crore.

BADC installed Bangladesh’s first centre-pivot system at Muladuli agriculture farm in Ishwardi, Pabna, with six spans irrigating over 400 bighas, and a second at Bhabanipur sugarcane farm in Natore.

The government-funded trial, using Austrian technology, cost about Tk 4 crore. Austrian engineers first trained BADC engineers, who then jointly trained local farmers. BADC continues to liaise with the Austrian engineers for maintenance support.

WATER AND LABOUR SAVINGS

The BADC anticipates that shifting to mechanised irrigation will reduce water loss, costs and labour while significantly increasing crop yields.

“The centre-pivot irrigation system uses 20-30 percent less water than traditional methods,” said Afnan Azam Rudrho, assistant engineer at BADC Pabna. “For wheat, which normally requires 100,000-200,000 litres per bigha, the system needs only 70,000-160,000 litres, depending on soil and climate.”

Anwarul Islam, in charge of the Muladuli sugarcane farm, said the system saves significant time and labour.

“The centre-pivot covers a 350-metre radius and can irrigate 150 acres at a time. With traditional flood irrigation, it would take 25 to 30 days and a large workforce to cover this area. Now we can do it in five to seven days with almost no extra labour.”

He added that water use can be controlled from the machine’s control board. “From the control panel, we can supply water only to specific parts of the field as needed, so there is no wastage from over-irrigation.”

Sumon Chandra Bormon, assistant engineer (irrigation) at BADC Ishwardi, said sugarcane output could rise from 15-17 tonnes per acre to 27-30 tonnes per acre using this system.

Local farmers welcomed the technology. Md Kamruzzaman, an onion farmer from Durgapur village, said, “Onion fields cannot tolerate standing water. We now need three to four labourers just to control water flow and drainage during irrigation. This technology is a blessing because it lets us water from above without harming saplings or hiring extra labour.”

Award-winning farmer Md Sajahan Ali Badsha added, “We use the same irrigation method for paddy, wheat and vegetables, even though their needs are different. If this technology reaches farmers at the grassroots level, it will transform production.”

The centre-pivot system under testing has six spans for large farms, but can be reduced to one for smaller farms. The official inauguration is expected by the end of the month, after the final power connections are completed.

If tests succeed, BADC plans wider installation to modernise Bangladesh’s agriculture. “We plan to expand this technology for both large- and small-scale farmers, depending on their needs,” said Faisal Ahmed, executive engineer of BADC in Pabna.​

 

[Saif]

Farmlands become useless for some crops, fertility declines for others

Soil traders have been indiscriminately extracting topsoil from Chandpur's remote farmlands for the past several months, which, experts say, has been leaving those lands uncultivable for some crops and less fertile for others. Illegal soil extraction continued during the winter in the district's F

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

ILLEGAL SOIL EXTRACTION IN CHANDPUR
Farmlands become useless for some crops, fertility declines for others

Our Correspondent
Published :
Feb 16, 2026 09:27
Updated :
Feb 16, 2026 09:27

A view of extracting topsoil from farmland in Gupter Beel in Harani Durgapur village under Char Dukhia Union of Faridgonj Upazila in Chandpur — FE Photo

Soil traders have been indiscriminately extracting topsoil from Chandpur's remote farmlands for the past several months, which, experts say, has been leaving those lands uncultivable for some crops and less fertile for others.

Illegal soil extraction continued during the winter in the district's Faridgonj, Kachua, Hajiganj, Matlab Uttar and Dakshin upazilas, villagers said. In some cases, traders, along with middlemen, convinced farmers in need of cash to sell the soil of their farmlands.

After purchasing per truck of soil at Tk 400-500 from farmers, traders sell it to brick field owners at Tk 1,800-2,000, sources said. The unabated extraction has been ongoing in remote places of Chandpur defying law. According to the "Balumahal and Soil Management (Corrected) Act, 2023", sand and soil extraction is prohibited for farmland, which can sustain damage, or gives rise to apprehension that the land may be damaged due to the extraction.

Faridgonj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Setu Kumar Barua said they conduct drives and fine traders as soon as they are tipped off on soil extraction and warn farmers against selling topsoil from agricultural lands.

In Chandpur Sadar, unabated soil extraction has been ongoing in Raj Rajeshwar, a remote char area about 10 km west of the Meghna River. Soil extraction has also been ongoing in full swing from the farmlands in Matlab North and Dakshin upazilas.

Soil extraction starts at around 8 to 9 PM in the nights at Shaharbazar in No. 4 Paschim Subidpur Union of Faridgonj Upazila and continues till pre-dawn, alleged the people affected by the noise pollution that results from the lifting with excavators.

Using influence, Kana Hanif, Iqbal Hossain and Md Jahangir Hossain have been cutting earth from the cropfields of farmers Sekandar Mollah, Md Jahangir Patwary and others in the area. People who have crop fields nearby say waterlogging occurred on their land as a result of the extractions.

On February 8, a mobile court fined a farmer, Majibur Rahman (53), Tk 100,000 for selling the topsoil of his farmland in Faridgonj and jailed him for a year.

Meanwhile, another mobile court led by assistant commissioner (land) recently fined a trader Tk 50,000 for extracting soil from Harni Durgapur village in Gupter Beel in Faridgonj. The court also seized two excavators from the spot.

Mobarak Hossain, an agricultural expert at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Chandpur, said the cutting of topsoil compromises the fertility of farmlands for some crops while others can not be cultivated at all. Experts said, in a way, the quantity of farmlands has been shrinking in Chandpur district due to the extractions, which is likely to cause a shortfall of annual yields for crops like jute, bottle gourd, pumpkin, mustard, some paddy varieties, potato, sweet potato and other vegetables.

They also said that soil extraction damages the environment and affects ecological balance. According to the Chandpur DAE sources, there is as much as 94,675 hectares of farmland in the district.​

 

[Saif]

Bogura green chillies capitalise on India supply gap

Bogura's famously pungent green chilies are carving out a growing presence in international markets, capitalising on a supply gap created by India's withdrawal from key Middle Eastern export destinations. Over the past three months, about 1,500 tonnes of green and dried chilies from the northern d

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Bogura green chillies capitalise on India supply gap

Our Correspondent
Published :
Feb 16, 2026 09:23
Updated :
Feb 16, 2026 09:23

Farmers busy taking care of chilli field at a village in Gabtali Upazila in Bogura district — FE Photo

Bogura's famously pungent green chilies are carving out a growing presence in international markets, capitalising on a supply gap created by India's withdrawal from key Middle Eastern export destinations.

Over the past three months, about 1,500 tonnes of green and dried chilies from the northern district have been exported to 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Malaysia, exporters and officials familiar with the development told the FE.

The shipments are valued at roughly Tk 8.0 billion ($66 million), highlighting the rising commercial potential of horticultural exports in a country still heavily reliant on garments.

"India used to control the Middle Eastern green chili market, but exports from there have stopped," said Md Belal Hossain, a member of the Bangladesh Vegetable, Fruit and Betel Leaf Exporters Association.

"That has opened a window for Bogura's chilies, which are now gaining strong acceptance in the Gulf."

Export cartons branded "Green Chilies of Bogura, Bangladesh" are increasingly visible in overseas wholesale markets, signalling a push by Bangladeshi traders to establish origin recognition.

Export volumes peak between November and March, when around 10 exporters ship an average of 5,000 tonnes of green chilies abroad each season, they mentioned.

Belal Trading, one of the exporting firms, has shipped 42 tonnes of green and ripe chilies-known locally as topa-in the past three months. "The chilies stand out for their intense heat and consistent quality," said M Belal Hossain, the company's proprietor.

"In Malaysia, demand for ripe chilies is effectively unlimited." The export surge is feeding directly into farm incomes.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bogura produced about 32,000 tonnes of chilies this year across 8,000 hectares.

Roughly 24,000 tonnes were sold fresh from fields, reflecting strong export demand.

Farmers say the new trade routes are improving both prices and logistics.

Exporters and spice processors are increasingly purchasing chilies directly from farms, often providing advance payments and reducing farmers' dependence on wholesale markets.

"I sold nearly 100 maunds of chilies from my field in a single day and earned Tk 100,000," said Thanda Mondol, a farmer in Gabtali Upazila.

"Prices have been favourable throughout the season."

At hubs such as Jalshuka and Subod, chilies are packed into five- to seven-kilogramme cartons and transported directly to Dhaka's airport.

Traders say exports from these markets have reached record daily volumes, supporting hundreds of jobs in sorting, packing and transport.

Md Motlubur Rahman, deputy director of the Bogura, DAE, said the export drive was encouraging farmers to focus on quality and compliance.

"To sustain access to global markets, we are discouraging excessive pesticide use and promoting better seeds and balanced fertilisers," he said.

As Bangladesh seeks to diversify exports ahead of its graduation from least-developed-country status, officials see Bogura's chili boom as a modest but telling example of how agriculture could play a larger role in the country's external trade.​

 

[Saif]

Cabinet decides to waive agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000 with interest

The new government has decided to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest, in the crop, fisheries and livestock sectors. As a result of the decision, around Tk 15.5 billion will come under the waiver scheme, benefiting approximately 1.2 million farmers.

en.prothomalo.com

Cabinet decides to waive agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000 with interest

Special Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 26 Feb 2026, 17: 33

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chairs a cabinet meeting at the Cabinet Division. PID

The new government has decided to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest, in the crop, fisheries and livestock sectors.

As a result of the decision, around Tk 15.5 billion will come under the waiver scheme, benefiting approximately 1.2 million farmers.

The decision was taken at the first formal meeting of the new cabinet, held at the secretariat today, Thursday morning and chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani later announced the decision at a press conference in the afternoon.

Responding to questions from journalists, the cabinet secretary said that regardless of the amount of interest accrued on loans of up to Tk 10,000, the entire amount, principal and interest, would be waived.

In a written statement, he said the government has taken the decision to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest in line with its election manifesto.

The primary objective is to ensure social protection for poor farmers and to strengthen the agricultural sector.

According to data from Bangladesh Bank, as of today (26 February), farmers owe approximately Tk 15.5 billion, including interest, to state-owned commercial and specialised banks as well as private commercial banks. This amount will be covered under the waiver scheme.

An estimated 1.2 million farmers will directly benefit from the move. The waiver will free small and marginal farmers from debt burdens, increasing their motivation and supporting higher agricultural production nationwide.

The cabinet secretary said that the money previously spent on loan instalments could now be invested in improved seeds or modern irrigation technologies. With the burden of debt lifted, farmers will be able to begin the next cultivation season with renewed energy.

He added that the waiver would also improve farmers’ credit records, enabling them to access low-interest agricultural loans from banks in the future and reducing their reliance on high-interest informal moneylenders.

The cabinet secretary further said that reducing debt burdens would encourage greater participation in crop production, fisheries and livestock farming, leading to increased national agricultural output and lower import dependency. As an immediate effect, rural-to-urban migration would decline and rural inflation would ease.

He also noted that during the 1991-1996 tenure of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, agricultural loans of up to Tk 5,000, including interest, were waived — a measure that had helped ease farmers’ hardships and contributed to increased agricultural production.​