BRAC Bank empowers 8,500 farming families through sustainable agri-finance

BRAC Bank has transformed agricultural financing in Bangladesh, supporting over 8,500 farming families and disbursing Tk 593.9 million in the last two years.

The bank’s efforts have directly benefited nearly 35,000 rural individuals, improving food security, boosting productivity, and uplifting livelihoods, particularly in remote, climate-vulnerable areas.

True to its mission as an SME-focused bank, BRAC Bank has prioritised smallholder and marginal farmers, often excluded from formal financing. Through its digital agri-lending platform Shubidha, farmers can access credit within 20 minutes with minimal documentation and without the need to visit a bank branch.

This fintech-first model has bridged critical gaps in credit, technology, and financial inclusion, offering dignity and autonomy to farmers who have long worked in the shadows of the economy.

To amplify its reach, BRAC Bank has formed strategic partnerships with agri-tech firms and development agencies, including Syngenta, iFarmer, Petrochem, and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), etc. These collaborations have been instrumental in integrating digital tools, improving market linkages, and enhancing access to advanced agricultural inputs.

In collaboration with these partners, the bank disbursed BDT 15.99 crore to 3,256 farmers across 22 districts, specifically in the northern and southern areas, by combining loans with digital farm management tools and marketing support for activities such as cattle fattening and turmeric cultivation.

Another 1,844 farmers received BDT 8.73 crore to improve crop productivity and secure sustainable livelihoods. In north-western districts, BDT 1.61 crore in financing to 251 farmers for crops like maise, onion, potato, and rice. In climate-vulnerable char areas like Gaibandha, a pilot project provided BDT 0.51 crore to 70 cattle-fattening farmers.

In disaster-prone zones such as Khulna and Satkhira, 134 farmers received climate-smart financing to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Livestock and dairy development also gained momentum, with BDT 6.58 crore disbursed to 552 farmers, including support for farmer cooperatives through public–private coordination.

The scale of impact becomes even more evident when broken down by purpose: 2,413 loans were issued for paddy cultivation, 1,711 for beef fattening, 1,112 for maise, 851 for potato, 840 for dairy, 689 for onion, 212 for turmeric, 183 for nut, 162 for soybean, 112 for poverty alleviation, 74 for chilli, and 53 for garlic. This brings the total number of purpose-specific loans to 8,410, covering the full spectrum of Bangladesh’s agri-economy.

Each number represents a story of resilience, but some stand out as testaments to the transformative potential of inclusive financing.

Shopna Parvin, a 36-year-old farmer from Amadi, Satkhira, started small-scale crab farming with a BDT 51,000 loan from BRAC Bank. Within six months, she repaid the loan, expanded her business, and employed two women. “Now I’m seen as a leader here. My income is stable, and I no longer depend on seasonal labour,” she said.

In Rangpur, Md Nazmul Islam’s yield doubled in one season with better seeds and irrigation. “I paid off part of the loan, bought a water pump, and enrolled my daughter in college. BRAC Bank gave me dignity and a future,” he said. Nazmul now plans to diversify into dairy farming and encourage others to access formal finance.

In each case, BRAC Bank’s approach affirms that when finance is timely, accessible, and backed by expertise, it becomes a catalyst for prosperity and lasting resilience.

Looking forward, BRAC Bank is exploring AI-based risk scoring and real-time decision-making tools to make services even more agile. The goal is to help farmers scale up, build agri-enterprises, access export markets, and engage in value-added agro-processing.

BRAC Bank’s agricultural financing model is derived from Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founding chairperson of BRAC, whose philosophy of banking the unbanked continues to guide the bank’s mission.

As Bangladesh contends with the crises of climate change and economic uncertainty, BRAC Bank’s inclusive agri-financing model offers a path to resilience; one that empowers farmers to lead the rural renaissance the country so desperately needs.