From Seeds of Hope to Harvests of Success
Shahida Begum
In the Bangladeshi village of Gobindapur, in the south-central district of Faridpur, a young girl named Shahida Begum set off on a life-altering journey in 1987. At just 15 years old, she traded her school uniform for a wedding saree to help her family survive after her father, the sole breadwinner, fell gravely ill. What seemed like the end of Shahida’s dreams was, in fact, the beginning of a new chapter—one that would see her rise to become a beacon of hope and success not just for her community but for the entire nation.
Her business provides livelihoods for dozens of men and women from within and surrounding villages, and during peak production seasons, that number swells to over 200.
Shahida’s journey from a newlywed teenager to a trailblazing entrepreneur began on her in-laws’ modest farm, where she learned the traditional practices of vegetable farming and seed preservation. What set her apart was her innate curiosity and sharp business acumen. While most local farmers focused on rice and vegetables, Shahida noticed a growing demand for local onion seeds. In 2004, with the support of her husband and father-in-law, she took a bold step by leasing 40 decimals of land to start her own onion seed production. The community called her decision risky, but Shahida’s resolve paid off when her first harvest yielded a profit of BDT 80,000 (about $667)—a small fortune at the time.
Shahida’s motivation extended beyond mere profit; she was driven by a desire to create something sustainable and impactful. Over the years, she reinvested her earnings, expanded her operations, and in 2014, formalized her business under the name “M/S Khan Seed,” honoring her father-in-law. Her enterprise grew exponentially, and by 2020, she was cultivating 30 acres of land and producing eight tons of onion seeds annually, with revenues reaching BDT 40 million (about $335,000). Her achievements earned her national recognition, including the prestigious Best Women Farmer Award from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in 2020 for her contributions to the agriculture sector, and the Joyeeta Award in 2022, given by the Government of Bangladesh every year to women with significant contributions to social and economic development.
By creating income opportunities for nearly 10% of the inhabitants of two different villages, Shahida is having a profound impact on her community.
Yet Shahida’s success story isn’t just about numbers; it’s about people. Her business provides livelihoods for dozens of men and women from within and surrounding villages, and during peak production seasons, that number swells to over 200. By creating income opportunities for nearly 10% of the inhabitants of two different villages (Ambikapur Union at a Glance, Bangladesh National Portal), Shahida is having a profound impact on her community. But her ambition doesn’t stop there. This year, she aims to expand her business across the sub-districts of Faridpur, Thakurgaon, and Dinajpur, with a goal of producing 30 tons of onion seeds and achieving sales of BDT 100 million (or nearly $840,000).
However, the path to success is fraught with challenges. Shahida faces stiff competition from large commercial brands with superior resources, and she struggles with the complexities of developing hybrid onion seed varieties, which require significant investment and access to advanced technology. Additionally, navigating Bangladesh’s evolving regulatory landscape demands continuous effort and engagement with government bodies.
Shahida’s achievements earned her national recognition, including the prestigious Best Women Farmer Award from the Department of Agricultural Extension in 2020 for her contributions to the agriculture sector, and the Joyeeta Award in 2022, given by the Government of Bangladesh every year to women with significant contributions to social and economic development.
In search of a breakthrough, Shahida attended one of the policy sensitization workshops hosted by the Bangladesh Seed Association (BSA) in May 2024, where she drew the attention of the co-organizers from the Feed the Future Bangladesh Policy LINK Agricultural Policy Activity (Policy Activity), an initiative under the USAID-supported Policy LINK program to advance leadership and collaboration for better policy systems. Her insightful contributions and deep understanding of the regional seed market captured their attention. Shahida’s participation in the workshop was a turning point for her. Her discussions with government and association leaders provided her with new insights—like policy directives around agricultural subsidies, government priorities on sustainable farming practices, and relevant government offices responsible for offering information and support services—that would help refine her business strategy. Reflecting on her experience, Shahida said, “The workshop gave me the opportunity to directly engage with government and association leaders regarding the kind of support small businesses like mine need.”
Shahida’s story is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of knowledge, advocacy, and collaboration. Aligning with the goal behind Policy Activity’s and local partners’ collaboration with these sensitization efforts, Shahida’s journey makes a strong case for the contributions that small and medium entrepreneurs can make in driving innovation and sustainability in Bangladesh’s agricultural sector. With the right policy-backed support in place, her journey shows that even the humblest beginnings can lead to extraordinary achievements, inspiring others to pursue similar paths.
Since 2020, the Policy Activity has fostered collaboration between government, the private sector, and civil society to improve Bangladesh’s agricultural policy environment. This has led to partnerships with coalitions like the BSA and the submission of a seed policy brief to the Ministry of Agriculture. Notably, the Seed Rules were amended in 2023, reflecting the first of 10 recommendations. Moving forward, the Policy Activity will support BSA in pushing for further reforms, including transforming the Seed Certification Agency into a Department and removing the dual license requirement for seed dealers, while also coordinating seed sensitization workshops.
Resources
Read more about Policy LINK’s work in Bangladesh here.