Flood-hit farmers to get aid after assessment

The government is preparing a list of farmers affected by the recent floods to provide them with targeted rehabilitation support, Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Amin Ur Rashid said yesterday.

He said local administrations were collecting data on agricultural losses following the prime minister’s directives. After completing the assessment, support would be provided quickly at the union and ward levels, according to a press release.

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“The government will provide all necessary assistance to help farmers recover and resume farming activities without delay,” the minister said while speaking to journalists after inaugurating a week-long tree fair and launching a tree plantation campaign at the Cumilla Town Hall grounds.

He said around 75 percent of the country’s population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture, making higher farm incomes, fair prices and a profitable agricultural sector key government priorities.

The minister also said the government had started a phased programme to set up mini cold storage facilities across the country to reduce post-harvest losses and protect farmers from price fluctuations.

“Several facilities are already in operation, and more than 2,000 additional mini cold storage facilities will be built in phases,” he said.

He said the prime minister was closely monitoring the nationwide tree plantation campaign to ensure its effective implementation. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a clean, green and pollution-free Bangladesh.

Earlier, the minister attended a rally to open the tree fair and visited stalls displaying fruit, forestry and medicinal saplings.

Yusuf Molla Tipu, administrator of Cumilla City Corporation; Rosy Akter, deputy commissioner of Cumilla; Md Anisuzzaman, superintendent of police; Md Ruhul Amin, divisional forest officer of the Cumilla Social Forest Division; and other senior officials and political leaders were present.