<i>Amon</i> on 42,600 hectares damaged in Satkhira
AED estimate says
Almost ready for harvest Amon paddy on over 42,600 out of 1,25,060 hectares were damaged by hurricane Sidr that ripped through seven upazilas of Satkhira district.
The crop loss due to the massive damage would be at least 85, 891 tonnes worth Tk 25 crore, official said.
The cyclone also damaged vegetables on over 423 hectares and mustard on 355 hectares worth a total of Tk 1.5, sources in the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) said.
The affected upazilas are Shyamnagar, Kaliganj, Assassuni, Debhata, Tala, Kalaroa and Sadar upazilas. Four of them--Shyamnagar, Kaliganj, Assassuni and Tala--were the worst hit areas.
According to estimate made by the AED, crops on 21,550 hectares have been damaged in Shyamnagar upazila, 9000 in Assassuni, 6050 in Kaligonj, 2000 in Tala, 1500 in Satkhira Sadar and Debhata and 1000 hectares in Kalaroa upazila.
The Sird damaged vegetables on about 19 hectares in Shyamnagar upazila, 45 in Assassuni, 112 in Kaligonj, 88 in Tala, 45 in Sadar and five 5 hectares each in Debhata and Kalaroa upazilas.
The damage to mustard has been estimated at about 262 hectares in Sadar upazila, 42 in Debhata, 30 in Tala, 10 in Kalaroa, six in Kaligonj and five hectares in Assassuni upazila, they said.
The affected farmers now face crisis of seed and money. They Have virtually no resources to go for IRRI-Boro cultivation for survival, the officials said talking tot this correspondent.
Abdur Razzak of Shyamnagar said he has no food, Boro seed or money to buy fertiliser. Most of the affected farmers in his area face the same fate, he said.
“The government should take immediate steps for supply of seed and ensure availability loan and fertiliser”, AED official Ekramul Haque said. The loan should be on easy terms, eh added.
He said AED will take up an integrated programme to rehabilitate the affected farmers.
“Now the local administration would concentrate all its efforts on Boro cultivation”, said Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Md. Kefayetullah.
“We will take measures so that the affected farmers can get sufficient fertilisers, seeds and irrigation facilities to cultivate IRRI-Boro properly so that they can recoup the loss caused by Sird”, he said.
He said the government has taken a plan to rehabilitate the affected farmers.
The government has sanctioned Tk one crore as grant for rebuilding damaged houses. The district administration has also distributed over 75 tonnes of rice among the affected people, the DC said.
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