10 new crops including jackfruit-beetroot-black cumin under agricultural credit

Bangladesh Bank has opened new horizons in increasing diversity and production in the country's agricultural sector. In the current agricultural and rural credit policy for the 2025-26 fiscal year, for the first time, the production of kheer, kachur lati, jackfruit, beetroot, black cumin, ginger in sacks, garlic, turmeric and date molasses has been brought under agricultural credit.

The new policy was announced by Central Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur on Tuesday (August 12). The director of the agricultural credit department and top executives of various commercial banks were present at the event.

The central bank said that if loans are introduced for the cultivation of these crops, farmers' income will increase, employment will be created, export opportunities will be created and import dependence will be reduced. Governor Ahsan H. Mansur said that support for farmers should be increased to keep commodity prices stable and their access to credit should be made easier. He warned that the government is monitoring whether the loans are reaching the real farmers and that surveillance will be increased to prevent loan distribution through brokers.

He also said that the target for agricultural loans should be more ambitious. He suggested encouraging small agricultural entrepreneurs to engage in contract farming so that everyone benefits and the country also benefits.

In the 2025-26 fiscal year, commercial banks have allocated Tk 39,000 crore in loans to farmers, which is 2.63 percent more than the target of Tk 38,000 crore last year. However, the banks could not meet the target in the last fiscal year.