Government compiling lists of flood-hit farmers for support, minister says

The agriculture ministry says authorities are preparing seedlings for areas where crops have been damaged

The government has begun compiling lists of farmers affected by the recent floods and will provide support once the process is complete, Agriculture Minister Md Amin Ur Rashid Yasin has said.

After opening a tree fair in Cumilla on Saturday, the minister said union and ward-level lists were being prepared while the ministry was assessing crop losses.

Flooding triggered by days of heavy rain affected parts of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and several other districts, with about 33 people reported dead in floods and landslides.

Amin said harvesting of paddy had largely finished before the floods, limiting losses, though seedlings submerged for long periods could rot.

He estimated around 25 percent of newly transplanted seedlings had been affected.

The minister said officials were collecting data on damaged farmland and the number of seedlings needed for replanting, while seedling production had begun in higher areas.

The ministry is set to have a clearer picture of the losses by Sunday.

He said the government would supply seedlings where farmers no longer had seed stocks.

According to him, all affected farmers, including fish, vegetable, paddy, coconut, areca nut and betel leaf growers, are eligible for assistance through Farmer Cards.