Staff Reporter :
The government has plans to necessary support to the framers who suffered crop loss in the wake of the severe cyclone Fani, which hit the country’s costal areas last Saturday.
The affected farmers will be provided with fertilisers, seed, saplings and cash, Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said this in a press briefing at his ministry office this morning.
A preliminary finding by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) reveals that crops (paddy, maize, jute and betel leaf) on some 63,063 hectares of land in 209 upazilas in 35 districts have been damaged.
Crops that were nearly ready for harvesting have been destroyed by strong winds and storm surge caused by Fani, said DAE officials.
Dr Razzaque said Boro paddy on some 55,609 hectares, maize 677 hectares, vegetables on 3,660 hectares, jute on 2,382 hectares and betel leaf on 735 hectares were partially damaged by cyclone Fani.
The extent of loss caused by Fani was estimated at worth Tk 38.54 crore, he added.
The minister also said that as many as 13,631 farmers have been affected by the cyclone. “The government will undertake short- and long-term initiatives to compensate the farmers for their losses,” he added.
The affected districts are Narayanganj, Tangail, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Netrokona, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Laxmipur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Bogura, Joypurhat, Sirajganj, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Gaibandha, Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Narail, Chuadanga, Faridpur, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Barishal, Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Jhalakati and Pirojpur. “The cyclone affected farmers will get the government’s aid under a rehabilitation programme to be implemented during the 2019-2020 period,” said Dr Razzaque.
He also said that the Agriculture Ministry has directed the local administrations to drain out water from croplands and vegetable fields as post-cyclonic short-term steps and help the farmers harvest Boro paddy.
The cyclone Fani hit India killing at least 15 people in the eastern state of Odisha, before swinging northeastwards into Bangladesh on Saturday.
About 1.2 million people living in the most vulnerable districts in Bangladesh had been moved to 4,000 shelters for safety.
