Incentives for flood-hit farmers

The government will provide incentives to more than 200,000 farmers who suffered losses due to floods and downstream rush of water in foothills and plains.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 13 Oct 2014, 05:17 AM
Updated : 13 Oct 2014, 05:17 AM

Farmers from 14 districts affected by downstream flow of water and 12 southern districts hit by floods will be provided assistance, said Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury.

The work to provide them with help will begin on Sunday, she said.

A total 86,475 farmers whose crops were damaged by water flowing downstream will get seeds and fertilizer worth more than Tk 80 million.

“Aman (a species of paddy) cultivation was damaged by the running water, so we took the initiative to support cultivation of Boro rice, wheat, corn and mustard in the Rabi season.”

Rabi is one of the two agricultural seasons in Bangladesh that begins at the end of the humid period when the Southeast monsoon starts in November and stretches up to March.

Each family, Matia said, will get free seeds and chemical fertilizers for maximum 1 Bigha of land. (1 Bigha = 0.400523559591 Acres)

Seeds for wheat will be given for planting on 14,010 Bighas of land damaged by water.

Similarly, corn seeds will be given out for cultivation on 13,240 Bighas, mustard seeds for 25,415 Bighas and Boro rice seeds for 33,810 Bighas of land.

The minister said the government hopes that it will earn more than Tk 990 million by providing incentives worth Tk 80 million to farmers.

Farmers from Tangail, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrokona, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Bogra, Sirajganj, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari will receive the assistance, said Matia.

The ministry believes helping 86,475 farmers from these areas will lead to cultivation of 38,870 metric tonnes of crops.

A total 118,540 farmers from 12 southern districts - Jessore, Narail, Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Patuakhali, Borguna, Bhola and Gopalganj will get incentives worth more than Tk 150 million.

The government would expect to earn more than Tk 900 million. The incentives, Matia said, will be come from funds allocated to the ministry.

“It will cost us Tk 240 million to offer these incentives for farmers from southern areas and those affected by water running downstream. But we hope it will earn us more than Tk 1.89 billion.”