By Xinhua
Dhaka : The devastating flood, which is now on the retreat, has caused damage to crops and vegetables worth about 5.91 billion taka (about 84.4 million U.S. dollars), according to a preliminary estimate of the ministry of agriculture.
Rice crops and vegetables on an area of about 100,000 hectares have been totally damaged by the onrushing flood waters, local newspaper The Financial Express Tuesday quoted official sources as saying.
The ministry of finance requested the ministry of agriculture to make a preliminary assessment of the damage caused to the agriculture sector to help prepare an emergency rehabilitation plan.
According to report of the agricultural ministry, crops on some 441,240 hectares were inundated by floods in 56 districts, among which agricultural crops in some 39 districts were badly affected.
In the flood-hit districts, the estimated production loss of rice and vegetables would be 418,753 tons. The financial loss has been estimated at 5.91 billion taka.
With floodwaters receding in many areas of the country, agriculture rehabilitation has emerged as one of the major challenges for the caretaker government.
The government has intensified its efforts to recoup the losses suffered by the country’s agriculture sector due to the devastating floods, official sources said.
An agriculture ministry official said the government has initially sanctioned 650 million taka (about 9.3 million U.S. dollars) for the rehabilitation of agriculture sector.
The fund will be spent for distribution of agricultural inputs like seedlings and fertilizers among the flood-hit farmers, the official said.