Agriculture Minister vows support for flood-hit farmers

Agriculture Minister vows support for flood-hit farmers

Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid has assured support for farmers whose Boro paddy was submerged by onrushing hill water across approximately 350 hectares of land in the Medir Haor area of Nasirnagar upazila, Brahmanbaria.

The minister expressed deep concern after inspecting the affected haor area and speaking with distressed farmers on Saturday, May 9. He promised financial assistance to those who have lost their crops due to the sudden flooding.

Responding to questions from journalists, the agriculture minister said, "Seventy-five per cent of the people in this country are farmers. I am also a farmer. If my paddy had rotted like this, I would have understood the suffering."

"It takes a lot of hard work for farmers to harvest a crop. Therefore, the government's main goal is to make farmers economically self-reliant," he said.

The minister further said that paddy harvesting is still ongoing in the Brahmanbaria region. The government will buy paddy from farmers, but wet paddy is not accepted. According to government regulations, paddy with more than 12 per cent moisture cannot be procured.

Announcements will be made at the district and union levels after the paddy has been dried, and the paddy will then be purchased from farmers to ensure affected farmers receive a fair price, he added.

Local administration said the hill water has submerged crops on approximately 350 hectares of land in the Medir Haor area, affecting at least 2,000 farming families.