Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Economists on Sunday urged the government to respond on emergency basis to the needs of farmers who have been affected badly by the latest flooding caused by intensive monsoon rain and onrush of waters from upstream.
They said such a response is crucial for managing crop recovery, ensuring farmers’ household income and access to food, nation’s long-term food security and revival of the country’s farm sector as well.
Flood in the last two weeks, the worst in recent years, damaged vast farmlands and standing crops causing a great loss to the agriculture sector, the backbone of Bangladesh economy.
At least 132 people were killed and more than 7.5 million people affected as the flood led to inundation of more than a third of the low-lying areas of the country.
Crops on more than 10,000 hectares of land have been washed away while another 600,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged, disaster management officials said.
“Like previous one’s, flooding this year also bring tragedies to the farmers and it would be a difficult year for them unless the government extends an extensive assistance package for the flood hit farmers,” Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, a development economist, told The New Nation yesterday.
The package includes supply of foods, key farming inputs and equipment, livestock fodders and the construction and rebuilding of farmers’ houses and farm infrastructures.
“This can restore their capacity to produce crops and livelihood, manage the post-flood crop recovery and ensure the country’s long-term food security,” Dr Ahmad added.
Earlier the international agencies said that Bangladesh’s long-term food supplies were at risk with so much farmland now ruined by the latest floods.
“Many farmers have lost their homes, their possessions and their crops after the devastated flood hit them. The initial shock has passed and now the government should react promptly to their plights,” Dr Zahid Hussain, a leading economist of the country, told The New Nation.
He suggested that the government should provide them food, high-yielding crop and vegetable seeds, paddy and tree saplings, fertilizer, livestock feed and funds for rebuilding their future.
“Livestock has also been affected by flood. The veterinary department should make their services available to the flood affected districts for the reduction of contagious livestock diseases,” he added.
Dr Zahid further said that farmers should be imparted training on how to prepare and resilient to negative fall-out from the climate change on agriculture and improve their farm management practices.
“The government should extend all possible help to the flood affected farmers taking the country’s food security into consideration. They should provide additional funds for crop production and construction of damaged houses,” Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former Bangladesh Bank (BB) governor told The New Nation.
