Trade
4 years ago

Amphan causes damage to crops worth Tk 6.72b

Focus Bangla file photo used only for representation
Focus Bangla file photo used only for representation

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Super cyclone Amphan which hit parts of Bangladesh on May 20 caused damage to crops worth Tk 6.72 billion, an agriculture ministry report said.

According to the report, 0.85 million mango and lychee gardeners, Boro, Aus and other crop farmers in 43 districts were affected as their 0.265 million hectares of land had been hit by super cyclone.

While crossing the coastal regions of the country from May 20 afternoon to May 21 evening, the cyclonic storm caused devastation to mango, lychee and other seasonal fruits, Boro and Aus paddy, vegetables and other crops.

Of the affected 0.265 million hectares of land, crops on 32,000 hectares of land were totally damaged, said the ministry report.

The cyclone hit a total of 71,000 hectares of mango field especially in Khulna and Rajshahi divisions where 0.28 million farmers incurred a loss of Tk 3.0 billion.

The report also said jute on 58,000 hectares of land, vegetables on 46,000 hectares, paddy on 35,000 hectares, lychee on 10,600 hectares, banana on 10,650 hectares, sesame oil seed on 9,500 hectares and betel leaf on 4,011 hectares of land were affected by the cyclonic storm.

Agriculture secretary Md Nasiruzzaman said affected-veggie and betel leaf farmers would be given fertiliser, seed, cash and other incentives to grow Aman crop this year.

The ministry is working to make a list of gardeners and other affected farmers so that they could get loan at 4.0 per cent interest rate, he said, adding that the government had launched a mobile app for direct sale of fruits and vegetables across the country.

The secretary said the ministry had urged the authority concerned to exempt toll of fruit-laden trucks at Bangabandhu Bridge on their return from Dhaka.

The ministry also sent formal request to the ministries concerned for purchasing mangoes and lychees from the farmers for distributing those under safety-net programmes.

Two cyclones hit the country last year. Cyclone Fani hit the coastal regions in May 2019 while cyclonic storm Bulbul in November of the same year.

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