Floods cause loss of Tk2,327cr in fisheries, livestock sector: Adviser Farida
Even the floods also affected nearly 7,82,000 families of farmers across the country
Country's fisheries and livestock sector was badly affected by the floods in August as the accumulated loss of the sector stood at Tk2,327 crore.
"The devastating floods during the month of August caused a huge loss in agriculture and also in the fisheries and livestock across the country. The loss in the fisheries sector was Tk1,899 crore while it was Tk428 crore in the livestock sector," Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said this while revealing the success in the first 100 days of the present interim government at a press conference at her ministry.
In the fisheries sector, the adviser said the devastating floods caused damage a total of 1,97,166 ponds and hatcheries along with 1,07,517 tonnes of fish and shrimp and 44 crore fish fries in 88 upazilas under 13 districts across the country.
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In livestock sector, the estimated accumulated loss was Taka 428 crore where 2.60 lakh cattle heads, 8,000 buffaloes, 93,000 goats, 10,000 sheep, 34.21 lakh poultry, and 4.60 lakh ducks have died in the floods.
Moreover, the floods also caused death of 39,000 cattle, 16,000 goats, 21 lakh poultry flocks, 2 lakh ducks, the adviser told the press briefing.
Even the floods also affected nearly 7,82,000 families of farmers across the country, according to a ministry release.
Under the flood rehabilitation programme, Farida Akhter said the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) has distributed 220 tonnes of cereal animal feed, 75 tonnes of straw, 357 tonnes of silage and 60,000 grass cutters while the distribution of animal feed among 12,000 farmers by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) remains underway.
Even the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has distributed Taka 35 lakh among the farmers of the flood affected areas for purchasing animal feed. The FAO has taken a programme to give 75kg of cattle feed to each of 8,233 small farmers.
The government has also distributed fish fries among the fisheries farmers at cheaper rates from the government fish production hatcheries.
Under the programme, a total of 51 tonnes of fish fries at a cost of over Tk2 crore have been released in the ponds of 8,488 beneficiary fish farmers at 88 upazilas under 12 districts.
The state-owned Krishi Bank and other non-government micro-credit distribution agencies have been requested to distribute credits among the affected fish farmers under easy terms and conditions.
Additional fisheries and livestock secretary ATM Mostafa Kamal, additional secretary Syeda Nawara Jahan, Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) Chairman Suraiya Akhter Jahan, Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Director General Dr Mohammad Reazul Huq, Additional Director General of the Department of Fisheries (DoF) Dr M Abdur Rauf and other section officials among others attended the press briefing.
