2024-09-14 21:43:34
Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture and Home Affairs Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that the country has enough stock of fertilizer till December, there will be no crisis. Farmers can purchase and use fertilizers as per demand.
On Saturday (September 14) in the meeting room of the Ministry of Agriculture at the Secretariat, a meeting was held to review the flood situation in various districts, review the steps taken and implementation progress in the rehabilitation of flood victims and exchange views on the activities of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC). He said these things in the speech of the chief guest. Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mia along with senior officials of the ministry and heads of departments/organizations were present in the meeting.
The agricultural adviser said that the process of importing fertilizers is normal. He urged not to buy or store extra fertilizer in fear of future crisis. The adviser also directed the concerned to complete the rehabilitation program of the flood affected farmers quickly with transparency.
It is to be noted that crops were damaged in 23 districts of the country due to sudden floods since August 16. A total of 3 lakh 72 thousand 733 hectares of land was flooded in these districts. The amount of damaged cropland is 2 lakh 8 thousand 573 hectares. The amount of loss in crop production is 7 lakh 14 thousand 514 metric tons, the financial value of which is about 3 thousand 346 crore taka. The number of affected farmers is 14 lakh 14 thousand 89 people. 14.58 percent of the total cultivated crops were destroyed in 23 flood-affected districts.
Amount of land affected in 7 districts most affected by floods: Feni 35,673 hectares (80%), Noakhali 38,456 hectares (37%), Comilla 49,608 hectares (36%), Laxmipur 15,626 hectares (33%), Chittagong 23,992 hectares (16%), Moulvibazar 15,222 hectares (12%) and Brahmanbaria 8.326 hectares (35%).
1 lakh 41 thousand 609 hectares of Ropa Amon, 38 thousand 689 hectares of Aush, 764 hectares of Bona Amon, 14 thousand 908 hectares of Ropa Amon Bijtala and 11 lakh 290 hectares of vegetables were damaged in the flood. Crops and orchards like ginger, turmeric, sugarcane, betel nut, chilli, watermelon, papaya, summer onion, tomato etc. have been damaged.
Assessment of crop damage to deal with floods, distribution of Aman paddy seeds and preparation of seedbeds for planting in post-flood conditions in affected areas, data collection through control rooms, assistance in agricultural rehabilitation and overall activities are being coordinated and monitored through committees.
13 crore 66 lakh taka has been given immediately for the cultivation of saplings in 9 districts (Comilla, Chandpur, B-Baria, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Cox’s Bazar, Laxmipur and Khagrachari) for the rehabilitation program among small and marginal farmers affected by floods. Through this, 400 metric tons of Aman rice seeds were distributed at the farmer level. Beneficiary farmer families are being given 10 kg DAP fertilizer, 10 kg MOP fertilizer and Tk 1000 in cash (mobile/online banking). In this, 10 lakh 667 hectares of land will come under plantation cultivation and the number of beneficiary farmers will be 80 thousand people.
164 crore 79 lakhs has been released for Rabi season incentives/rehabilitation in 12 crops (wheat, maize, mustard, sunflower, groundnut, soybean, onion, moong, lentil, kesari, fallon and arhar) in 64 districts with emphasis on flood affected districts. 16 lakh 41 thousand farmers will benefit from this. Later, Rs. 22.84 crores were given as incentives to one and a half lakh farmers for production of winter vegetables.
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) has sown 4,500 kg of Aman rice seeds for seedling production on 22.5 acres of land. It will be possible to cultivate Aman paddy on 450 acres (1 thousand 350 bigha) of land with the produced seedlings.
Between September 20 and September 25, seedlings of Aman paddy will reach 2,500 farmer families in Feni, Noakhali and Khagrachari districts, with which Aman paddy will be planted on 2,500 bigha of land. Out of this, 1,325 bighas of seeds supplied by BADC, 375 bighas of seeds supplied by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, 450 bighas of seeds supplied by Bangladesh Atomic Agriculture Research Institute (BINA) and 350 bighas of seeds supplied by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRI) were planted in Ropa Aman paddy. will be cultivated. Aman paddy seeds have been sown in 1.50 acres of upland at Madhupur farm of BADC. With it, Aman paddy will be cultivated on the damaged 25 acres (75 bigha) of the farm located at Mohipal in Feni district.
With the help of the Department of Agricultural Extension, 2.50 acres (7.5 bigha) of land in Comilla cantonment will be produced and distributed free of cost to the farmer families in the affected south-eastern districts. The International Rice Research Institute has assured that 1,200 kg of seedlings will be distributed to 240 farmer families free of cost. Syngenta, a private company, has distributed 15 metric tons of seeds at the rate of 5 kg to 3,000 farmer families.