Fani damaged crops worth Tk 38.5cr
Says agri minister
Cyclone Fani -- that hit the country’s coastal areas on May 4 -- damaged crops on some 63,063 hectares of land in 209 upazilas of 35 districts, said Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque yesterday.
Briefing reporters at the secretariat, the minister showed an accumulated loss of Tk 385,402,500 in damages by Fani, that affected some 13,631 farmers.
He said boro paddy on some 55,609 hectares, maize on 677 hectares, vegetables on 3,660 hectares, jute on 2,382 hectares and betel leaf on 735 hectares of land were damaged by the storm.
The districts are: Narayanganj, Tangail, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Netrakona, 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, Jhalakathi and Pirojpur.
The minister assured that his ministry would provide seeds, fertiliser and money to farmers under a rehabilitation programme, to be implemented during the 2019-2020 period after making a list of the cyclone-affected people.
Dr Razzaque said the ministry has directed local administrations to drain out water from croplands and vegetable fields as a post-cyclone short-term step, and help farmers harvest boro paddy.
Terming the government an agriculture-friendly one, the minister said Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and agriculture ministry are standing beside farmers and working jointly in this regard.