[🇧🇩] Green Farming in Bangladesh

[Saif]

Date of Event: Dec 29, 2025

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/editorial/news/green-farming-thanchi-encouraging-4067146

Green farming in Thanchi encouraging
Discourage tobacco cultivation, promote green crops

It is heartening to learn that green crops are gradually replacing tobacco cultivation in Bandarban's Thanchi upazila. Reportedly, over the past few years, farmers have moved away from tobacco and embraced environment-friendly crops such as peanuts, beans, mustard, watermelons, and seasonal vegetables along the banks of the Sangu River. This shift is improving livelihoods while also protecting the hill ecosystems. It has also been found that green crop cultivation is economically more viable than tobacco farming, as farmers are earning better returns without inflicting the severe environmental damage associated with tobacco. At a time when tobacco cultivation and tobacco products are causing immense harm to both public health and the environment, this change in Thanchi is encouraging.

Reportedly, tobacco curing depends heavily on firewood, which accelerates deforestation, degrades hillsides, and damages soil quality. These practices have reduced wildlife habitats and intensified environmental stress in an already vulnerable region like Thanchi. Yet despite these costs, tobacco dominated the agricultural landscape of the area for decades as a primary cash crop. According to Indigenous farmers, tobacco cultivation involved high input costs, constant labour, volatile markets, and long-term damage to their land, prompting many to return to traditional, environment-friendly crops. Reportedly, tobacco occupied 85 percent of the net cultivable land in 2020–21, but this has declined to about 30 percent by 2025–26. This is an encouraging development that must be sustained.

Recent studies have also shown that tobacco imposes an enormous economic burden on Bangladesh, costing Tk 87,544 crore annually—more than double the revenue it generates through taxes. Health-related expenses alone exceed Tk 73,000 crore, while environmental damages add thousands of crores more, reinforcing the fact that tobacco drains national resources rather than strengthening the economy.

Encouragingly, the move away from tobacco in Thanchi is proving both ecologically and financially sound. Farmers have reported improved soil conditions, the return of birds, and increased wildlife movement in areas once stripped for tobacco curing, while peanut and other green crop cultivation offers lower investment requirements, easier maintenance, and more stable returns than the volatile tobacco market. Credit is also due to local agricultural authorities, who have worked year-round with marginal farmers to curb tobacco cultivation and promote green alternatives.

The transformation along the Sangu River shows that with the right policy support, farmers will willingly choose crops that protect both their incomes and the land. The government should, therefore, build on this momentum by providing training, quality seeds, access to credit, and improved market linkages. Using Thanchi as a benchmark, similar pathways towards environment-friendly traditional crops should be developed for other tobacco growing regions of the country. By consistently supporting green farming, the government can significantly reduce deforestation while ensuring sustainable livelihoods, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions.​

 

[Saif]

Data gap starves farming promise

PICTURE a European retailer scanning a crate of mangoes. In the two seconds it takes the QR code to load, she decides whether Bangladesh is a supplier worth keeping. The mangoes are flawless; the digital dossier is blank. Sale lost — again. We...

www.newagebd.net

Data gap starves farming promise

PICTURE a European retailer scanning a crate of mangoes. In the two seconds it takes the QR code to load, she decides whether Bangladesh is a supplier worth keeping. The mangoes are flawless; the digital dossier is blank. Sale lost — again. We keep hunting for bigger cold-stores and faster ports, yet our produce is rejected in the milliseconds before it even leaves the farm. The choke-point isn’t infrastructure; it is information we never bothered to collect.

We are operating in an age where global agricultural trade has undergone a fundamental paradigm shift. It is no longer a simple exchange of goods for currency. It is an exchange of proof for trust. And in this new economy, Bangladesh is running a dangerous deficit. While our annual export earnings soared 114 per cent to $50 billion in the decade leading to FY 2022–23, agricultural exports grew by a comparatively sluggish 57 per cent to $843 million. In the grand scheme, agricultural shipments accounted for a mere 2.05 per cent of our total exports in FY 2024–25, a figure that exposes a critical underperformance in a sector that employs 45.4 per cent of our national workforce and contributes 11.66 per cent to GDP.


Export data disconnect: potential vs performance

BANGLADESH’S agricultural sector presents a paradox of immense potential constrained by structural data gaps. The country produces over 70 million tonnes of agricultural output annually and exports over 700 products to more than 140 countries. We rank impressively in global production — 2nd in jute, goat milk and jackfruit; 3rd in rice and freshwater fish. The processed food market is projected to grow at 15.01 per cent annually, and the overall agriculture sector has demonstrated a remarkable 13 per cent compound annual growth rate.

Yet, this potential remains tragically untapped. Despite having over 1,000 food processors and 250 exporters, only $1.03 billion in agro-exports was achieved in the 2024 financial year. The reality becomes clearer when examining rejection rates and market access challenges. A Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies report highlighted that poor quality and failure to meet international sanitary and phytosanitary standards remain major constraints. The problem isn’t just what we grow — it’s how we verify and communicate its quality in a global marketplace demanding digital proof.



Precision farming: the smallholder’s digital advantage


WE HAVE fundamentally misunderstood precision agriculture in the Bangladeshi context. Dismissing it as an unaffordable luxury of drones and sensors is a catastrophic error. At its core, its most revolutionary power for Bangladesh is shared visibility — creating a common, trustworthy language of data that connects the smallholder directly to the global buyer.

The data void is staggering. Post-harvest losses cripple Bangladesh’s food security and export potential, with 8–15 per cent of rice, 25–40 per cent (worth $2.4 billion) of fruits/vegetables, 17 per cent of poultry, and 20-30 per cent of fish wasted annually due to inadequate infrastructure and poor handling. A fundamental, often overlooked obstacle is that most smallholder farmers lack systematic record-keeping, leaving them without the basic data needed to navigate market inefficiencies, improve techniques or prove quality. This isn’t just an administrative gap; it’s a market-access catastrophe in an era where major importers like the EU, Japan and South Korea operate stringent, digitised traceability systems.

Paradoxically, Bangladesh’s agricultural structure — dominated by small plots averaging less than a hectare — could be transformed from a liability into its ultimate competitive advantage. Unlike vast, anonymous plantations, small farms are inherently easier to monitor and document. With basic digital tools, each smallholder’s story of sustainable practices, ethical labour and traditional knowledge could become a marketable brand, not just anonymous produce.


Policy imperative: data as critical infrastructure

CURRENT policies keep busy with the easy-to-see problems: freight rates that have jumped four-to-five times, packaging that arrives only after heavy import duties and other nitty-gritty costs that make our shipments expensive. Yet even if every one of these headaches vanished overnight, we would still be turned away at the border, because the real deficit is not money — it is the missing data that buyers now demand before they sign any deal.

Policy must recognise data collection and traceability systems as essential export infrastructure, as critical as cold storage or port facilities. The government’s existing incentives — reduced corporate income tax for fruit and vegetable processors, duty exemptions on capital machinery, 50 per cent tax exemption on export income — are valuable but insufficient. They must be complemented by specific incentives for digitisation.


Imagine a scenario where contract farmers growing export mangoes use simple, app-based logs to timestamp and geo-tag each intervention: organic fertiliser application, pest management, irrigation, harvest. This data populate a shared platform accessible (with permissions) to the exporter, BARI for verification, and the foreign importer. The buyer sees real-time adherence to protocols; the exporter manages quality proactively; the farmer receives precise instructions and timely payments based on verified compliance. This isn’t science fiction — it is basic digital traceability that delivers the ‘proof’ now demanded in global markets.


A targeted path forward: digital export zones

WE NEED not digitise all 16.5 million hectares of arable land overnight. The strategy must be targeted and pragmatic, beginning with high-value export clusters.

Establish digital export zones: Focus initially on sectors with established export potential — mangoes in Chapainawabganj, pineapples in Sylhet, vegetables in Manikganj. Implement mandatory but simple digital traceability protocols in these zones, creating models for replication.

Build minimal viable public platforms: Develop, through BARI and the ministry of agriculture, open-source, mobile-first traceability applications that work with basic smartphones. These should be interoperable with systems used by major importers in the EU and Middle East.

Incentivize data as export infrastructure: Provide specific tax benefits or grants for farms and exporters adopting certified traceability systems. Make digital adoption a criterion for accessing existing export incentives and support programmes.

Leverage smallholder narratives: Develop a national branding campaign around ‘Proof-Positive’ produce from Bangladesh, highlighting the stories of individual farmers and communities practicing sustainable, traceable agriculture. This addresses the growing global demand for authenticity and ethics in food sourcing.


Conclusion: exporting credibility in a trust-based world

BANGLADESH does not need to pave every acre with sensors; it needs to turn the first hundred hectares into living laboratories where data is as deliberate a crop as rice. Start with one exporter, one co-op, one app. When that container clears Rotterdam because the importer trusted the QR code more than the mango itself, the model will scale itself. The choice is no longer between twentieth-century subsidies and twenty-first-century drones; it is between exporting crates and exporting credibility. In the two seconds a European buyer spends scanning fruit, Bangladesh must learn how to harvest trust with the same diligence it harvests crops.


Afsana Akter is a research associate at Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management.​

 

[Saif]

Vanishing farmland, vanishing future

Are policymakers seriously thinking about what Bangladesh will be like in the next 25 years or 50 years if the current trend of losing land continues or even accelerates? It is not a hypothetical question; it is a question about the country's stability and security. Because the country is quietly m

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Vanishing farmland, vanishing future

Shiabur Rahman
Published :
Mar 26, 2026 23:53
Updated :
Mar 26, 2026 23:53

Are policymakers seriously thinking about what Bangladesh will be like in the next 25 years or 50 years if the current trend of losing land continues or even accelerates? It is not a hypothetical question; it is a question about the country's stability and security. Because the country is quietly moving into a future in which feeding its own people will be a challenging task.

Every year, concrete takes over huge tracts of fertile land. Housing units, brick kilns, factories, and business establishments are encroaching upon land that was previously used for growing rice and other produce. According to the Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), Bangladesh loses around 68,760 hectares of arable land to non-agricultural activities every year.

The implications of the trend are alarming. Bangladesh has made remarkable progress towards attainment of sufficiency in foodstuff production - an important part in the maintenance of stability. The reduction in agricultural land poses a direct threat to the sustainability of the achievement.

The pressure on land can also be understood to some extent. As one of the most densely populated countries and a fast-growing economy of the world, the requirement for land for establishment of infrastructure and industries is increasing in Bangladesh. What starts with the construction of one house on agricultural land eventually leads to the construction of several houses, finally leading to the complete disappearance of the land used for agriculture.

The most worrying aspect is the lack of control over land. In the case of cities and towns, there is some measure of regulation and planning. However, in rural areas and villages across the nation, anyone can build structures almost anywhere without any form of approval.

The government has lately recognised the gravity of the issue and has promulgated the Land Use Control and Agricultural Land Protection Ordinance 2026. This legislation has been designed to prevent the transformation of agricultural land, wetlands, and hills into non-agricultural land without government approval. It also provides for a range of penalties for those who violate the rules, including a jail term of up to two years and a fine of Tk 0.4-0.5 million.

On paper, the ordinance is a major step forward, as it seems to indicate a realisation at the policy level of the importance of farmland protection for the country's future. The true test, of course, will concern how the policy is implemented in practice. Bangladesh is handling the matter very late, as other developing nations have already had to contend with the problem and have implemented very stringent land use policies to safeguard their agricultural lands.

One of the best examples of a country that has implemented very effective land use policies to safeguard its agricultural land is China. In fact, no house can be constructed, even in the remotest of areas, without the permission of the relevant authorities, including the Natural Resources Bureau and the Planning Department. The Land Administration Law of China, which came into effect in 2004, imposes very stiff penalties for violation of the law, including imposition of fines, the destruction of the structures and the restoration of the land to its original state.

Bangladesh does not need to invent anything for protection of farmland. The lessons are already there. What is needed is to have the political will and administrative capability to enforce the same level of regulation and discipline. Farmland protection is crucial not only for agriculture but also for national security and stability. A nation that cannot produce enough food for its own people becomes increasingly dependent on imports, thereby becoming vulnerable to global price shocks.

Although belated, Bangladesh has got a legislation to regulate the use of farmland, but mere promulgation of the legislation will not be enough. The government will need to ensure that it is properly enforced across the country. It will require extending the regulatory oversight to the countryside to make sure that use of farmland does not go unregulated.​

 

[Saif]

Solar power shields farmers from energy crisis

Times are bad for Bangladesh's farmers. Right when they needed a steady diesel supply to irrigate vast swathes of cropland -- Boro paddies, seasonal vegetables, maize -- the world entered what the head of the International Energy Agency called “the biggest energy security threat in history.”

www.thedailystar.net

Solar power shields farmers from energy crisis

S Dilip Roy and Mostafa Shabuj

Bangladesh’s farmers face rising diesel costs and shortages, threatening irrigation and crops. Solar-powered pumps offer a reliable, cost-saving alternative, boosting yields and resilience, but expansion remains slow despite strong potential benefits. Phot: Mostafa Shabuj

Times are bad for Bangladesh's farmers. Right when they needed a steady diesel supply to irrigate vast swathes of cropland -- Boro paddies, seasonal vegetables, maize -- the world entered what the head of the International Energy Agency called “the biggest energy security threat in history.”

The fuel is in short supply. The government has just hiked its price by 15 percent. Many farmers are now fearing losses of both crops and investment. But not Afzal Hossain from Fulpukuria village in Gobindaganj of Gaibandha, who cultivated Boro paddy on six bighas this season and gets his water from a solar-powered pump.

“I am not really worried about irrigation,” he said.

“My neighbours who rely on diesel or electric pumps are suffering due to the fuel crisis and load-shedding.”

Bangladesh requires over 40 lakh tonnes of diesel a year, with a large chunk of it going towards the running of more than 12 lakh irrigation pumps, according to data from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and government agencies. Besides, there are more than 430,000 electric pumps that provide minor irrigation.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the country currently has 754 diesel-powered deep tube wells, 1,039,337 shallow tube wells, and 184,384 low-lift pumps in operation.

While this reliance could be a devastating blow for many farmers, those using solar-powered pumps are enjoying immunity from the whole crisis.

In Rangpur Division, across five districts, 509,095 hectares of Boro paddy have been planted this year. Around 35 percent to 40 percent of cultivable land in the region depends entirely on diesel-powered shallow machines. The recent price hike has pushed service providers to raise charges for irrigation, harvesting, and maize threshing.

According to Hussain Mohammad Altaf, executive engineer at Rangpur office of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), 596 solar-powered irrigation machines were active during the last irrigation season in the division.

“If each generates an average of 10 kilowatts, total output comes to 5.9 megawatts, enough to run 80,000 to 85,000 fans daily,” he said. Over a four-month irrigation season, those machines save approximately 75 lakh litres of diesel.

In Lalmonirhat, Atiar Rahman manages a solar-powered deep tube-well run by the BADC at Doani village of Hatibandha upazila, supplying water to around 15 bighas of maize and vegetable land.

“Even if diesel is unavailable or its price rises, farmers no longer have to worry,” he said, “because this irrigation machine runs on solar power.”

He added that the panels sit idle for eight months after the irrigation season ends, and that connecting surplus electricity to the national grid through net metering could benefit farmers, institutions, and the government alike.

Further into the char lands of Kurigram, farmer Meher Jamal of Char Paschim Bajra at Ulipur upazila said vast areas surrounded by the Teesta River once sat uncultivated because irrigation was out, but it meant increased costs and labour.

“For the last few years, many char lands are now being cultivated regularly because of irrigation facilities through solar power,” he said. “Land that once remained unused is now producing crops.”

Sudhan Chandra Sen, a farmer from Madhupur village at Kaunia upazila of Rangpur, said the difference is simple.

“There is no worry about fuel. Electricity comes from solar power, and we get water. Crops are better, and costs are lower.”

He noted that while electricity is less reliable, as it often comes and goes, delaying irrigation, solar power is sustainable and consistent.

“Water is always available.”

In Bogura, Abdul Hamid from Kachua village at Shibganj upazila cultivated Boro on five and a half bighas. He said solar-powered pumps have reduced both his costs and stress.

“I planted Boro paddy after harvesting potatoes. So far, I haven’t had to worry about irrigation or the cost. I can pay the irrigation fees after harvesting the crop.”

Abu Hasan, another farmer from the same village, said crops under solar pumps yield better because the water supply is uninterrupted.

“I face no water shortages. I have to pay Tk 1,500 per bigha for irrigation after the harvest.”

Beyond individual farms and government initiatives, private operators have built businesses around solar irrigation. Abu Jafar Sujan, regional manager of Salek Solar Power Limited, said his company runs 122 solar pumps across Bogura, Gaibandha, Meherpur, and Panchagarh districts.

“Each pump has a lifting capacity of 5 to 20 horsepower. Smaller pumps cover 30 to 40 bighas, while the larger ones irrigate up to 120 bighas of Boro land, he added.

Abu Bakkar Siddique, who looks after a 20-horsepower irrigation pump owned by Salek Solar in Kachua, said 100 bighas of Boro land were irrigated under this pump this year.

Nationally, the state-run renewable project financer Infrastructure Development Company Limited (Idcol) has funded the installation of approximately 1,523 solar pumps through six companies, covering around 15,000 hectares.

“There are 152 such pumps in Bogura, Sirajganj, Gaibandha, and Naogaon. However, some remain inactive due to various complexities and a lack of technical spare parts,” an official of the organisation said on condition of anonymity.

“We plan to install 10,000 solar pumps across the country by 2030.”

The ADB, in a December 2023 report on scaling up solar irrigation pumps in Bangladesh, said irrigation costs in Bangladesh account for 43 percent of total agricultural costs.

It estimated that replacing diesel pumps with solar could displace consumption of 10 lakh tonnes of diesel annually, avoiding 30 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.

But installation has slowed sharply. After peaking at 12.88 MWp in 2019, new installations had fallen to just 4.65 kWp by 2025, according to the state-owned Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda), responsible for increasing renewable energy production.

Rangpur BADC’s Altaf confirmed that no new solar irrigation projects have been launched in Rangpur division since 2022, and some existing pumps remain inactive due to technical problems and missing spare parts.

Mizanur Rahman, chief engineer (operation) of Northern Electricity Supply Company PLC (Nesco) in Rangpur, believes that if diesel-dependent irrigation can be quickly transformed into solar-powered irrigation, it would save foreign currency and reduce carbon emissions.

For climate-vulnerable Bangladesh, this could be an effective path toward sustainable agriculture, he added.

“Most solar-powered irrigation machines are located in areas under the Rural Electrification Board. Therefore, implementation would be possible if the relevant authorities take initiatives to introduce net metering at those installations.”

Rights activists noted that solar projects are highly important for increasing agricultural production, ensuring food security, and modernising agriculture.

“Government and private initiatives should further expand solar-powered irrigation projects to improve the fortunes of marginal farmers,” said Shafiqul Islam, president of the Lalmonirhat district unit of Nodi Bachao Teesta Bachao Sangram Parishad.​