Flood-hit haor farmers to get stimulus package

The government plans to have a new pot of money to pass out to farmers in the haor region after recent flash floods destroyed their crops.

Floods in early April damaged paddy on around 6,500 hectares of land in the region during the Boro season, according to the government. Croplands in Sylhet, Kishoreganj and Netrakona suffered heavy damage due to the flooding.

Speaking to journalists at the secretariat after a meeting on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Abdur Razzaque said that his ministry is yet to figure out the exact extent of the damage, reports bdnews24.com.

According to their estimation, farmers across the country produce 20 million tonnes of paddy in the Boro season. At least 1.2 million tonnes of this paddy grow in the haor region. “That’s no small amount,” the minister said.

He said crops do not usually grow much in the marshland region during the Aman season. “So, we’ve decided to provide the farmers with a stimulus package during the Aush season.”

Rice is cultivated in Bangladesh throughout the year as Aush, Aman or Boro. Aman is generally cultivated in December-January, Boro in March-May, and Aush in July-August cropping seasons.

Razzaque said farmers in Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sylhet are the ministry’s primary focus in its plan to disburse the money.

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Matia Chowdhury, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture ministry, Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam and Industries Secretary Zakia Sultana also attended the meeting of the National Co-ordination and Advisory Committee on Fertiliser Distribution.