Rangpur tops in farm labor productivity, Dhaka at bottom
Collected Photo
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has revealed a distinct regional disparity in agricultural labor productivity across Bangladesh. According to a recent BBS study, labor productivity in temporary crop production in the top-performing northern regions of the country is nearly three times higher than that of the capital, Dhaka.
Nationally, the average productivity per person-day for short-term crops—such as rice, wheat, and seasonal vegetables—stands at Tk 2,664. However, significant variation exists across regions due to administrative divisions and differences between urban and rural structures.
Rangpur Leads the Nation
Rangpur Division recorded the highest agricultural labor productivity in the country generating Tk 4,093 per person-day, which is more than 53% above the national average.
Agricultural experts attribute this success to favorable soil quality, the use of high-yielding crop varieties, and efficient labor utilization across cultivation cycles. Several other divisions also performed significantly better than the national average: Mymensingh: Tk 3,273, Khulna: Tk 3,015 and Rajshahi: Tk 2,921
These regions continue to reinforce their positions as the country's agricultural powerhouses.
Dhaka and Other Lagging Regions
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Dhaka Division, which recorded the lowest labor productivity in the country at just Tk 1,473 per person-day—nearly 45% below the national average.
Agricultural income in this region is severely constrained by rapid urbanization, fragmentation of agricultural land, and higher costs of labor and farm inputs in suburban areas. Additionally, coastal and eastern divisions remain below the national average, too. To cite some examples: Chittagong: Tk 2,521, Barisal: Tk 2,271 and Sylhet: Tk 2,148, respectively.
Environmental challenges, such as temporary waterlogging in the Haor areas of Sylhet and coastal salinity in Barisal, pose major obstacles to daily labor productivity in these regions.
Rural Agriculture Outpaces Urban Farms
An analysis of area-based data shows that rural farms maintain a competitive advantage over urban and suburban agricultural operations. In rural areas, average labor productivity reaches Tk 2,690 per day, slightly exceeding the national average.
In contrast, urban areas record a rate of Tk 2,472 per day. The higher availability of arable land and a dedicated workforce in rural districts serve as the primary drivers of this disparity.
Economists and policy analysts emphasize that bridging this regional gap requires accelerating modernization, developing flood-resistant crop varieties, and expanding technology adoption in lagging divisions to maximize agricultural labor productivity nationwide.
Agriculturist Dr. Mohammad Amirul Islam said that farming typically involves the entire family, and in rural settings, all family members can contribute. Conversely, urban areas lack sufficient farmland, forcing those who do farm to rely on hired day laborers. This higher labor cost, among other factors, leads to lower agricultural output in urban zones. Furthermore, soil fertility in the northern region remains significantly higher than that of urban areas.
