Staff Reporter:
The government has launched an emergency assistance programme to restore the agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors in five flood-affected districts of the Chattogram division, said Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Amin Ur Rashid on Thursday.
Under the aid programme, 327 tonnes of paddy seeds will be provided to affected farmers, 151,599 livestock will be vaccinated, and Tk35 lakh worth of cattle feed will be distributed.
He made the remarks at a press briefing held at the Chattogram Circuit House on Thursday night.
The minister said preliminary field reports show that the fisheries sector has suffered losses of more than Tk200 crore, while the livestock sector has incurred losses of nearly Tk77 crore across the five districts.
He added that the relevant departments are continuing to collect data to determine the full extent of the damage.
He said widespread damage to Aman seedbeds has created an urgent need for 327 metric tonnes of paddy seed to rehabilitate affected farmers. The government has sufficient seed stocks to meet the demand. Farmers whose land is ready for cultivation will receive seed immediately, while emergency seedbeds are being prepared on government-owned fallow land for those whose fields are still unsuitable. Seedlings from those nurseries will be distributed to affected farmers within the next 15 days.
Emphasising livestock health, the minister said the risk of foot-and-mouth disease increases after flooding. Therefore, 151,599 livestock in the five affected districts will be vaccinated. The vaccination campaign will begin Friday and is expected to be completed within 15 days.
He also said that as floodwaters have destroyed straw and other animal feed, the government has initially allocated Tk35 lakh for cattle feed. The feed will be distributed on a priority basis in the worst-affected upazilas, with additional assistance to be provided if necessary.
The minister said the government has already collected union-level damage data. Assistance will be prioritised for areas that suffered the heaviest losses. He stressed that the government is committed to ensuring that no affected farmer, fish farmer or livestock rarer is deprived of government assistance.
The briefing was attended by Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Dr Md Ziauddin, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md Abdur Rahim, Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia, Director of the Department of Livestock Services Dr Md Boyzar Rahman, Director of the Chattogram Divisional Fisheries Department Md Anwar Hossain, and other senior officials from the relevant departments.
