Published on 12:00 AM, September 11, 2017

Flood-hit farmers to get Tk 59cr

Says Agri minister; reveals bail out plan

The government allocated a Tk 58.77 crore incentive for the flood-hit farmers of 64 districts so that they could recover the losses caused by the recent floods, said Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday.  

The minister said the amount would be spent for providing necessary agricultural inputs, including seeds and non-urea fertilisers, to 5,41,201 small and marginal farmers free of cost for cultivating 10 crops in the upcoming Kharif-1, 2 and Robi season in 2017-18 so that a farmer could cultivate crops at least on one bigha of land. 

At a press briefing in her ministry, she also told journalsits that it would be possible to produce huge crops worth Tk 727.59 crore by providing farmers the incentive.

Matia said the farmers would get necessary seeds and fertilisers for growing 10 crops, including wheat, maize, mustard, bean, Khesari lentil, peanut and Bt Brinjal, on 72,306 hectares of land across the country.

Some 87,250 wheat cultivators, 1,40,150 maize cultivators, 2,09,900 mustard cultivators, 7,200 peanut cultivators, 22,500 summertime sesame cultivators, 39,900 mugh dal cultivators and 9,000 masur (lentil) cultivators, 20,300 maskalai cultivators and 2,001 Bt brinjal cultivators will get the incentive.