As climate stress tightens its grip on Bangladesh’s farmlands and cultivable land continues to shrink, the government has rolled out a large-scale agricultural project aimed at securing food production and livelihoods in one of the country’s most important farming belts — Bogura agricultural region.
With an allocation of Tk 251.97 crore, the project, titled Sustainable Agricultural Development of Bogura Agricultural Region, seeks to boost crop output, modernise farming practices and build long-term resilience in four districts of the Rajshahi division.
The project will be implemented by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under the Ministry of Agriculture from January 2026 to December 2030, fully funded by the government.
Spanning 44 upazilas in Bogura, Joypurhat, Pabna and Sirajganj, the project is among the largest region-based agricultural programmes undertaken in recent years.
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Officials say it is designed as a response to a convergence of challenges including falling groundwater levels, erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and increasingly unpredictable seasons — all of which have disrupted year-round crop cultivation in the region.
Targets and technologies
At the heart of the project is a production target: a 5 percent increase in crop output, from 41.87 lakh metric tonnes to 43.96 lakh metric tonnes.
This is to be achieved through the application of 24 modern and environment-friendly agricultural technologies, including water-saving methods, improved soil health management and better crop planning.
Cropping intensity is also expected to rise by 5 percent, from 236 percent to 241 percent, reflecting more efficient land use in an area where arable land is steadily being lost to floods, river erosion and expanding infrastructure and industrial establishments.
To address post-harvest losses — a persistent problem for farmers — the project includes the construction of 200 onion storage facilities, each with a capacity of 10 metric tonnes, alongside three storage centres for vegetables, fruits and other produce.
A deputy director’s office-cum-training centre will also be built in Bogura to strengthen local extension services.
Mechanisation is another major pillar. Under the plan, 3,185 agricultural machines will be procured and distributed to farmers to reduce production costs, ease labour shortages and improve efficiency during peak seasons.
Investing in people
Beyond infrastructure and machines, the project places strong emphasis on human resource development.
According to Planning Ministry officials, 4,840 training batches will be conducted to enhance farmers’ skills in modern crop production, seed technologies and agribusiness development.
The initiative aims to create at least 1,000 new agricultural entrepreneurs and develop around 35,000 trained agricultural human resources across the region.
More than 41,800 demonstration plots will showcase improved farming practices, while 700 field days, technical discussion sessions and 70 exposure visit programmes are planned to encourage technology adoption at the grassroots.
A Planning Commission official described the project as a strategic investment in both productivity and people. “Expanding high-yielding and high-value crops, promoting safe fruit and vegetable cultivation and improving post-harvest management can significantly lift farm incomes if done properly,” the official said.
If implemented as planned, the project is expected to contribute to soil health protection, improved nutrition, reduced rural poverty and a gradual transformation of agriculture into a more profitable and sustainable profession in the region.
For thousands of farmers facing an uncertain climate future, the success of this initiative could determine whether Bogura’s fields remain productive — or increasingly precarious — in the years ahead.