Small farmers feed Bangladesh, but earn a fraction of the yield

Small-scale farmers account for more than half of Bangladesh's food producers but earn significantly less than their large-scale counterparts, according to a new survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The survey found that despite the dominance of small-scale farmers, accounting for 53.65% of all food producers nationwide, they earn just Tk33,639 a year on average - almost four times less than the Tk129,956 earned by large-scale producers.

The income gap is also reflected in productivity. While the national average stands at Tk1,868 per labour-day, small-scale producers earn Tk1,494 per labour-day, well below the Tk2,301 earned by large-scale producers.

The findings were published today (4 August) in the BBS report titled "Survey on Income and Productivity of Small-Scale Food Producers 2025", which covered 12,879 households across all eight divisions and five agricultural sectors, including crops, forestry, livestock and aquaculture.

Among the agricultural sectors, aquaculture recorded the highest productivity at Tk11,382 per labour-day, followed by permanent crops at Tk6,530 and forestry at Tk5,390. Livestock recorded the lowest productivity at Tk1,459 per labour-day.

However, the survey also found that small-scale producers outperform large-scale farmers in some sectors. 

In permanent crops, smallholders earn Tk9,182 per labour-day, compared with Tk4,603 for large producers. A similar pattern is seen in forestry, where small-scale farmers earn Tk6,518 per labour-day against Tk4,656 for their large-scale counterparts.

According to the report, livestock is the largest source of income for small-scale farmers, contributing Tk28,421 annually, or 84.5% of their total income. Across all food producers, livestock also generates the highest annual income at Tk70,432, followed by aquaculture and forestry.

At the divisional level, Chattogram and Rangpur recorded the highest shares of small-scale farmers, at 59.81% and 59.29% respectively. Sylhet was the only division where large-scale producers formed the majority, with the share of small-scale farmers standing at 39.99%.

Rajshahi recorded the highest productivity among small-scale farmers at Tk2,093 per labour-day, while Mymensingh recorded the lowest at Tk1,135. 

Rajshahi also recorded the highest average annual income for small-scale producers at Tk44,707, while Sylhet recorded the lowest at Tk24,636.

The survey also highlights a gender gap in agricultural leadership, with women heading only 10.7% of small-scale farming households, compared with 4.7% of large-scale farming households.

It also underscores the critical role of small farmers in Bangladesh's food system and persistent gaps in productivity and income, highlighting the need for targeted policy support to improve livelihoods and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).