Aid package for flood-hit farmers

The government will provide a stimulus and rehabilitation package worth around Tk 42 crore for around 4.18 lakh flood-affected marginal farmers to boost production and make up for their loss.

As many as 4,01,003 farmers would get paddy seeds, paddy saplings and fertiliser worth Tk 42.56 crore under the stimulus package. The rest 17,211 farmers would get paddy seeds and paddy saplings worth Tk 53.74 lakh under the rehabilitation scheme.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday announced the package for the late summer and Rabi season at a press conference at her office.

“The assistance will be provided to the farmers as necessary input support for crop production. The stimulation is also a kind of investment. It is like we are giving Tk 1, against which the farmers would get around Tk 12 in return,” she added.

“The farmers will get all the support free under the agriculture rehabilitation and subsequent incentive programme of Tk 42.1 crore,” she said.

The minister also said 7.5 lakh hectares of crop land have been submerged, while various types of standing crops on another 1.58 lakh hectares of land were damaged due to recent flooding in 16 districts.

The flood affected districts are Bogra, Faridpur, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Nilphamari, Rajbari, Rangpur, Shariatpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj and Tangail.

As many as 17,211 flood-affected farmers will get different varieties of paddy seedlings and different vegetable seeds under the rehabilitation programme.

Besides, 15,000 farmers will get vegetable seeds including amaranth, radish, spinach, eggplant and sweet guard.

Moreover, 4,01,003 farmers in all 64 districts would get paddy seedlings, different crop seeds and fertilisers worth Tk 41.56 crore for 4,01,003 bighas of land under the stimulus package.

Each farmer will also get necessary seeds and fertiliser support for cultivating wheat, maize, mustard, felon, khesari, maskalai, summer moog, sesame, peanuts and Boro crops.

The minister said that under the scheme, 70,000 farmers would get wheat seeds, 97,300 farmers maize seeds, 1,50,000 farmers mustard seeds, 30,000 farmers summer mung seeds, 2,000 farmers felon seeds, 5,000 farmers peanuts seeds, 15,000 farmers sesame seeds, 14,000 farmers maskalai seeds, 6,000 farmers khesari seeds and 12,000 farmers will get Boro paddy seeds.

She added that all the money for the two packages would be disbursed from the ministry's own budget.