The government is giving the highest priority to rehabilitating farmers affected by natural disasters, Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has said.

He said the fisheries and livestock sectors are an important part of the country's food security and economy, so the government is working with top priority to rehabilitate disaster-hit farmers and keep production normal. If the government seed production farms are run properly, hatchling (renu) production will rise and fingerling farmers will benefit, he added.

The state minister made the remarks on Monday, 27 July, while visiting areas of Patiya in Chattogram damaged by the recent flood. He repeated his assurance that the government stands beside affected farmers, directed officials to prepare an accurate list of flood-hit farmers quickly, and promised the necessary government support.

He later visited the government seed production farm and AK United Hatchery and Fisheries at Bhaiyardighi in Kharna union of the upazila. He enquired about the overall activities of the government farm and planted a sapling. He told the officials concerned to make sure ongoing development and production work at the farm is carried out properly and according to the rules.

Present were Department of Fisheries director Md Anwar Hossain, district fisheries officer Salma Begum, Patiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Farhanur Rahman, upazila livestock officer Dr Md Ilias, senior upazila fisheries officer Swapan Chandra Dey, South district Krishak Dal member secretary Mir Zaker Ahmad, upazila Krishak Dal president Mahbubul Alam Parvez, general secretary Mizanur Rahman, municipal Krishak Dal president Bulbul Ahmad Nannu, Chattogram South district Jubo Dal vice-president Shahjahan Chowdhury and Abdul Mabud.

In the recent flood, fish from 1,400 ponds in Patiya upazila were washed away, causing losses of about Tk 3 crore.

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