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Download PDF About eight lakh metric tons of Aman crops worth around Tk 2,000 crore have been damaged in Cyclone Sidr that ripped through the southwestern districts last month, shows the agriculture ministry’s final damage assessment.
The report unveiled at a press conference yesterday reads, “The overall shortfall in Aman production for the current fiscal stands at 14 lakh metric tons as crops to the tune of another six lakh metric tons have already been damaged in floods.”
Agriculture Adviser CS Karim, Secretary Abdul Aziz and senior officials of the ministry spoke at the press conference.
The adviser said, “We will make good the shortfall through rice import from global market and food assistance from donors.” He however ruled out the possibility of any food crisis in the country despite the losses.
He said banks and NGOs would be the government’s partner in post-cyclone rehabilitation programmes.
The government will design the programmes in consultation with different stakeholders.
Besides, it would distribute seeds of high-yield Boro varieties among the farmers for increased production in the next season, he added.
Abdullah-Al-Shahin, senior information officer of the ministry, presented the updates on food production and supply situations.
He said the government will have to import 31 lakh metric tons of rice from global market to address supply shortage in domestic market. That will be 29 percent higher than the import last fiscal year, according to final accounts of the agriculture ministry.
“Twelve lakh metric tons of rice has already been imported and the rest [19 lakh] will be imported soon by the government and private traders,” he said adding the government agencies would bring in 10 lakh metric tons while private traders nine lakh.
“We need a stock of 18.95 lakh metric tons of rice for food security over the next seven months,” he said adding that currently the government has a reserve of eight lakh metric tons.
The agriculture ministry report said the November 15 storm has damaged standing crops on 5.53 lakh hectares of land across 30 districts. Of those, 4.18 lakh hectares had Aman crops.
For natural calamities in recent months, the production this year might be 14 lakh metric tons shy of the targeted 322 lakh metric tons.
Asked when the special VGF programme that was originally scheduled to begin yesterday in 12 coastal districts would start, Joint Secretary Shafiqul Islam could not give any date.
He said, “We’ve started listing the names of victims and the job will take some more time to be completed.”
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