Ministry of Agriculture

ministry · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid
Role: Minister (Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture portfolio)
Annual budget: ৳272,240,000,000
Staff: —
Established: 1971
Legal basis: Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 55; Rules of Business 1996

MoA is executing Boro 2026 procurement at an unchanged Tk 36/kg paddy price amid farmer discontent over rising production costs (estimated Tk 32.97/kg); managing haor flood relief for 112,000+ affected farmers via Tk 7,500/month cash transfers; and racing to secure 200,000 tonnes of urea through alternative suppliers outside the Strait of Hormuz to build Aman-season reserves.

Recent activity

2026-02-17 appointment Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid sworn in as technocrat minister holding the combined Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture portfolio in PM Tarique Rahman's BNP cabinet. ↗↗
2026-03-01 appointment Agriculture Secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian retired compulsorily after 25 years of service; Nasir-Ud-Doula assigned routine duties as acting Agriculture Secretary. ↗↗
2026-04-07 regulation Bangladesh Parliament unanimously passed the Haor and Wetland Conservation Act, 2026, prohibiting encroachment, unauthorised excavation, water contamination, and illegal sand extraction in haor and wetland areas; penalties up to 2 years jail or Tk 2 lakh fine. ↗↗
2026-04-22 policy Government fixed Boro 2026 paddy procurement price at Tk 36/kg (unchanged from Boro 2025) and parboiled rice at Tk 49/kg. Nationwide procurement drive to run May 3 to August 31: 5 lakh tonnes paddy, 12.5 lakh tonnes parboiled rice, 1 lakh tonnes atap rice at Tk 48/kg, and 50,000 tonnes wheat at Tk 36/kg. ↗↗↗
2026-04-29 policy Following the April haor flash floods, authorities authorised farmers to use private rice mills and government warehouses to dry inundated paddy; Directorate General of Food directed to procure dried paddy directly from flood-affected farmers. ↗↗
2026-04-30 other Bangladesh Red Crescent Society issued Situation Report 1 on haor flash floods: over 112,000 farmers affected; approx 16,000 ha inundated in Sunamganj (losses ~Tk 3 bn), 9,049 ha in Kishoreganj (losses ~Tk 2 bn), 11,538 ha in Habiganj. ↗↗
2026-05-03 procurement Nationwide Boro paddy and wheat procurement drive officially launched on May 3; rice procurement started May 15. Procurement underway in districts including Sirajganj, Bogura, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Narail, and Mollahat. ↗↗
2026-05-05 policy Agriculture Minister announced flood-affected haor farmers will receive Tk 7,500/month for three months from PM relief fund, disaster management fund, and other public funds; minister acknowledged government cannot compensate the full extent of losses. ↗↗
2026-05-12 procurement BCIC tender for 200,000 tonnes of urea (two tenders floated April 2 and retendered due to no offers) ongoing; Bangladesh racing to secure Aman-season reserve of ~600,000 tonnes amid Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Alternatives pursued with Russia, Latvia, Brunei, and Ukraine via non-Hormuz routes. ↗↗↗

Provenance & notes

Budget figure of Tk 27,224 crore (agriculture sector only, MoA) converted to BDT: 272,240,000,000 (1 crore = 10,000,000). The combined agriculture+food+fisheries+livestock block in FY 2025-26 is Tk 39,620 crore (BDT 396.2 bn). MoA is distinct from the Ministry of Food (DGFood), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, though Minister Amin Ur Rashid holds all three in a combined portfolio. The current acting Agriculture Secretary is Nasir-Ud-Doula (routine duties) following the March 2026 compulsory retirement of Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian; a permanent appointment had not been confirmed as of verification date. Boro procurement price controversy: production cost officially estimated at Tk 32.97/kg yet procurement price held at Tk 36/kg; farmer groups and analysts demanded Tk 2-3/kg increase. Urea supply emergency is driven by Strait of Hormuz disruption from the Iran-Israel/US conflict; Bangladesh needs ~600,000 tonnes reserve for Aman season (July-September). No data available on total sanctioned staff count.

Ministry of Agriculture

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