The national budget for fiscal year 2026-27 has kept the allocation for agriculture, fisheries, livestock and food security largely unchanged as a share of total expenditure, despite an increase in nominal terms and a sharp rise in development spending for the agriculture sector.
The government proposed an allocation of Tk 433.35 billion for agriculture, food, fisheries and livestock, accounting for 4.65 per cent of the total budget outlay of Tk 9.38 trillion.
In the outgoing fiscal year, the combined allocation for these sectors stood at Tk 371.26 billion out of a Tk 7.9 trillion budget. Although the allocation has increased in absolute terms, its share of the total budget has remained almost unchanged.
The proposed allocation is equivalent to 0.63 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), compared with 0.61 per cent in the revised budget for the current fiscal year.
A notable feature of the budget is the substantial increase in development spending for the agriculture ministry. The development allocation has been raised to Tk 79.45 billion, nearly double the revised allocation of Tk 40.43 billion in the current fiscal year.
The government has also placed special emphasis on the Farmer Card Programme, allocating Tk 10.62 billion for its implementation.
Under the initiative, 4.25 million farmer cards will be distributed across 100 upazilas and farmers enrolled in the scheme will receive an annual government incentive of Tk 2,500 each.
The budget outlines a broad range of measures to support the agriculture sector, including agricultural mechanisation, research and innovation, fertiliser and input subsidies, dissemination of modern farming technologies, development of agricultural entrepreneurs and rehabilitation programmes for farmers.
A total allocation of Tk 288.21 billion has been earmarked for the Ministry of Agriculture, including a development allocation of Tk 79.45 billion. In the revised budget for the current fiscal year, the development allocation stood at Tk 40.43 billion.
The proposed budget nearly doubles development expenditure in agriculture, reflecting the government's intention to accelerate implementation of several priority projects.
Alongside the Farmer Card Programme, the government plans to revive subsidy support under the agricultural mechanisation project, which had previously been suspended.
The budget also envisages strengthening agricultural research, producing high-quality seeds, undertaking canal excavation programmes, assessing fertiliser demand, ensuring fertiliser sales at government-fixed prices and expanding extension services to deliver modern cultivation techniques directly to farmers.
In addition, the government plans to establish cold storage facilities for mango growers, promote diversification of agricultural products and expand cold-chain infrastructure for preserving and transporting perishable goods.
The fisheries and livestock sector has been identified as a national priority area in line with the ruling party's election manifesto.
The government has set a target of producing 5.635 million metric tonnes of fish in FY27. As part of its blue economy strategy, it also aims to raise annual fish export earnings to US$1 billion by 2030.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food plans to increase the government's food grain storage capacity from the current 2.31 million metric tonnes to 2.45 million metric tonnes in FY27.
The revised target for food grain procurement in the current fiscal year stands at 3.81 million tonnes. The government intends to increase the procurement target to 4.12 million tonnes in the next fiscal year.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
© 2026 - All Rights with The Financial Express
