Farmers in five flood-hit districts of the Chattogram region will be given rice seed and seedlings. At the same time, all livestock there will be brought under foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination within the next 15 days.

Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid, Minister for Agriculture and for Fisheries and Livestock, gave this information while talking to journalists at Dohazari in Chandanaish upazila, Chattogram, on Friday, 17 July. There he launched the distribution of rice seed, farm inputs and cattle feed to flood-hit farmers, fish farmers and livestock keepers, and a livestock vaccination programme.

The minister said Aman rice seedbeds had been hit hardest by the ongoing floods. Many seedbeds were destroyed because floodwater stood on them for a long time. Lists of affected farmers are therefore being drawn up by union and block-level agriculture officers, and arrangements have been made to supply the necessary rice seed.

Farmers whose seedbeds were completely destroyed are being given seed quickly, he said. In areas still under water where new sowing is not possible, seedbeds have been prepared on alternative land at government initiative. When the seedlings are ready in 15 to 20 days, they will be distributed to affected farmers so they can transplant Aman as soon as the water recedes.

On livestock health, the minister said there is a risk of FMD and other infectious diseases spreading after floods, so a special vaccination programme began that day in the five flood-hit districts. Special teams are working at upazila and union level, and all livestock will be brought under FMD vaccination within the next 15 days.

He said cattle feed worth Tk 35 lakh has been allocated in the first phase to tackle the feed shortage caused by the floods, and more support will be given as needed.

Amin Ur Rashid said preliminary estimates put flood losses in the fisheries sector at several hundred crore taka. A field survey is under way to determine the actual losses, after which the necessary steps will be taken to rehabilitate affected fish farmers.

The minister also spoke of improving storage for farm produce. So that farmers can store their produce and sell at a favourable time, the government plans to set up about 2,000 mini cold stores across the country in phases, built close to production areas.

He also said recovery of illegally occupied government canals and necessary dredging would continue to ease floods and waterlogging.

Earlier, the minister sowed rice seed by hand in a seedbed in an affected area. He then launched the distribution of rice seed to farmers, pond rehabilitation inputs to fish farmers and cattle feed to livestock keepers, and the vaccination of livestock against FMD and PPR. Before that, he visited various flood-hit areas of Chattogram district.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.