Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid has stated that the government is committed to ensuring fair prices for farmers.
He said, “The current government has undertaken multifaceted plans to economically empower farmers. Seventy-five percent of the population in the country is connected to agriculture. The loss of their hard-earned crops is painful. The government wants to give farmers fair prices.”
The minister made these comments after visiting the Nasirnagar Medir Haor in Brahmanbaria on Saturday afternoon.
In the afternoon, the minister will inaugurate the distribution of 30 kg of rice to the affected farmers.
Regarding rice procurement and embankment repairs, the minister said, “Currently, there is a quota for rice collection at the district level. In the future, we will directly purchase rice from farmers at the union level through announcements.
A high-level committee has been formed to investigate whether the ‘All Weather Road’ in Kishoreganj is obstructing water flow. Necessary measures will be taken according to the committee’s report.”
During the visit, local MP MA Hannan, District Commissioner Md Abu Saeed, and Upazila Agriculture Officer Imran Hossain were present.
Due to the absence of heavy rainfall, the water levels in Medir Haor and other areas have started to recede. While the visible land has brought some relief to the farmers, significant crop damage has occurred.
According to the agriculture department, 305 hectares of Boro rice land have been submerged due to hill torrents, with an estimated market value of nearly Tk 13 crore. However, farmers claim the losses are even greater. So far, a list of 2,500 affected farmers has been compiled.
In this season, 11,000 hectares of land in the haors of Nasirnagar were used for Boro cultivation. With the partial receding of water, farmers are now trying to dry their crops.
