Cotton Development Board(CDB)

What Cotton Development Board(CDB) does

Cotton Development Board (CDB) is an autonomous statutory body under Bangladesh's Ministry of Agriculture, established in 1972 to drive national cotton research, seed production, and agricultural extension. Headquartered in Dhaka with 58 employees and a network of 12+ zonal offices spanning Jessore, Jhinaidah, Chuadanga, Kushtia, Rajshahi, Bogura, Thakurgaon, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Rangamati, and Khagrachari, CDB's operational mandate covers improved cotton variety development, subsidized seed and input distribution, farmer training, field-day demonstrations, cotton fiber quality testing, ginning approval, and pesticide trial evaluation for the Bangladesh cotton value chain.

CDB's service portfolio straddles traditional agricultural extension and a recently built digital services layer. Core offerings include free distribution of high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators to registered small and marginal cotton farmers; field-level training programs; cotton fiber quality testing (reports within 8 working days); seed cotton ginning approval (6 working days); and pesticide trial approval processing for ~70 private applicants per season (10 working days). The digital stack comprises an Integrated Digital Services portal, a Data-based Cotton Management Dashboard for zone-level production analytics, an Online Farmer Registration system, an Online Departmental Loan platform, a Cotton Yield Determination mobile app on Google Play, and an E-Reporting system for field offices, all integrated into Bangladesh's national e-governance framework.

CDB is not a commercial enterprise. The organization is wholly owned by the Government of Bangladesh, fully funded through Ministry of Agriculture budget allocations, and operates without a revenue model or pricing structure; all agricultural inputs and services are provided free of cost to farmers as a subsidized public good. There are no funding rounds, private shareholders, M&A activity, or external investors. CDB generates no disclosed commercial revenue, and its operating sustainability is contingent on continued government appropriations rather than market-derived income.

Name

Cotton Development Board(CDB)

Legal name

Cotton Development Board (CDB)

Website

https://cdb.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cotton Development Board (CDB) is Bangladesh's autonomous government body under the Ministry of Agriculture, providing cotton research, seed production, subsidized input distribution, and agricultural extension services to small and marginal cotton farmers across 12+ zonal offices nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Cotton Farming (111920)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cotton Farming (Upland & Pima/ELS) (AFAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Cotton research
• Seed production
• Agricultural extension
• Cotton cultivation support
• Farmer training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cotton Development Board (CDB) is an autonomous government body under the Ministry of Agriculture of Bangladesh that promotes cotton cultivation through research, development, and dissemination of improved cotton varieties. It distributes subsidized seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators free of cost to small and marginal farmers, while providing agricultural extension, training, and market facilitation services across 12+ zonal offices covering cotton cultivating districts of Bangladesh.

Product overview

Cotton Development Board (CDB) operates as Bangladesh's government body responsible for cotton research, development, and production. The organization offers a portfolio of digital services including an Integrated Digital Services platform, Data-based Cotton Management Dashboard, Online Farmer Registration System, Online Departmental Loan Processing, and a Cotton Yield Determination mobile application. Additional services include internal systems for Personal Data Sheet management, Report Preparation, and Online Job Applications. CDB also provides simplified government services such as Cotton Fiber Quality Testing, Seed Cotton Ginning Approval, Pesticide Trial Approval, and E-Reporting for field operations. The digital infrastructure is built on Bangladesh's national e-governance framework with integration to various government portals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cotton Fiber Quality Testing Service (আঁশতুলার গুনগত মান পরীক্ষা) A cotton fiber quality testing service available to private seed companies and researchers, providing quality reports within 8 working days.
• Seed Cotton Ginning Approval Service (বীজতুলার জিনিং বিষয়ে সহায়তা প্রদানের অনুমোদন) An approval service for seed cotton ginning assistance provided to private seed companies and researchers, delivering approval reports within 6 working days.
• Cotton Pesticide Trial Approval Service (তুলার বালাইনাশক ট্রায়ালের অনুমোদন) An approval service for pesticide trials on cotton cultivation, processing approximately 70 private pesticide company applications per season and delivering reports within 10 working days.
• Online Farmer Registration Service (অনলাইনে চাষী রেজিষ্ট্রেশন) An online registration system for cotton farmers that enables them to register and access various government support services including free seeds and fertilizers.
• Online Departmental Loan Service (অনলাইনে বিভাগীয় ঋণ) An online platform for processing departmental loans for cotton farmers, facilitating easier access to agricultural credit.
• Cotton Yield Determination App (তুলার ফলন নির্ণয় অ্যাপস) A mobile application available on Google Play Store that helps cotton farmers determine and predict yield outcomes.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cotton Corporation of India (CCI): Government-owned statutory corporation under India's Ministry of Textiles that supports cotton farmers through MSP procurement, input distribution, and extension services across cotton-growing states. Directly comparable as a state-backed cotton development entity serving smallholder farmers in a major South Asian textile economy.
• Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC): Pakistan's statutory federal body responsible for cotton research, variety approval, and development policy. Directly comparable as a national-level government organization with cotton R&D, seed, and regulatory mandates in a neighboring South Asian country with a similar smallholder cotton base.
• ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR): India's primary federal agricultural research institute dedicated to cotton, conducting variety development, agronomic research, and technology transfer. Comparable to CDB's research, seed production, and extension functions within a similar South Asian smallholder context.
• Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI): Government research and development institute under Bangladesh's Ministry of Agriculture that develops jute varieties, produces seeds, and provides extension services to jute farmers. Closely comparable as a peer crop-focused public R&D and extension body operating in the same Bangladesh smallholder context as CDB.
• ICAR-Directorate of Cotton Development: Indian government directorate under the Ministry of Agriculture that coordinates cotton development programs, monitors acreage and production, and liaises with state agencies. Comparable as a policy and program coordination body for cotton development in a similar South Asian smallholder setting.
• Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh: Bangladesh's primary government extension agency under the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for farmer training, input distribution, and field demonstrations across all crops. Directly comparable to CDB's extension and input distribution mandate but at a national, multi-crop scale.

Emerging players

• Brazilian Cotton Breeders Association (ABRAPA): Industry association representing Brazilian cotton producers and supporting research, sustainability certification, and technology transfer. Comparable as a sector-wide cotton development body with a strong focus on small-to-medium growers, though operating in a market-driven rather than state-funded model.

Regional players

• Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC): State-owned enterprise under Bangladesh's Ministry of Textiles and Jute that operates textile mills and influences domestic cotton demand. Comparable as a domestic government entity whose cotton procurement needs directly shape the policy environment in which CDB operates.

Broad incumbents

• Cotton Research Institute (CRI), China: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences institute conducting national cotton breeding, agronomy, and biotechnology research. Comparable as a large-scale public cotton R&D institution, though operating at vastly greater scale and with more advanced biotech capability than CDB.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cotton-development-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cotton Development Board(CDB)