Govt to support flood-hit farmers, fishermen, livestock farmers: Minister
Assistance will be provided based on the extent of damage, with the worst-affected areas receiving priority, says Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid.
Highlights:
- Govt to rehabilitate flood-hit farmers, fishermen and livestock farmers
- Fisheries losses estimated at Tk200cr, livestock losses at Tk77cr
- 327 tonnes of paddy seeds to be distributed from Friday
- Over 1,51,000 cattle to be vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease
- Tk35 lakh allocated for cattle feed in flood-affected upazilas
The government will provide all necessary support to rehabilitate farmers, fishermen and livestock farmers affected by the recent floods, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid has said.
Speaking to reporters before a meeting with officials of the Chattogram district administration and the agriculture, fisheries and livestock departments at the Chattogram Circuit House last night (16 July), the minister said assistance would be provided based on the extent of damage, with priority given to the worst-affected areas.
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Amin Ur Rashid, also the Fisheries and Livestock minister, said preliminary assessments estimate losses of around Tk200 crore in the fisheries sector and Tk77 crore in the livestock sector across five districts in Chattogram division.
"The assessment of damage to the agriculture sector is still underway," he added.
According to the minister, to help farmers recover from the destruction of Aman seedbeds, the government will distribute 327 tonnes of paddy seeds, with distribution scheduled to begin on Friday (17 July). Seedlings grown on government-managed seedbeds will also be supplied to affected farmers within the next 15 days.
Amin Ur Rashid also announced that 151,599 cattle in the five flood-affected districts would be vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease over the next 15 days. "To address fodder shortages caused by the floods, the government has allocated Tk35 lakh for cattle feed in the affected upazilas, with distribution expected to begin within the next one to two days."
The minister further said rehabilitation efforts would be guided by damage assessments prepared by agriculture, fisheries and livestock officials at the union and upazila levels to ensure that assistance reaches those most severely affected.
