Flooding in August has inflicted Tk 33.46 billion worth of damage on agriculture across 23 districts in eastern Bangladesh.
According to the latest data from the Agriculture Ministry on Thursday, more than 200,000 hectares of cropland have been damaged, while 372,733 hectares have been affected by the flooding.
The deluge, caused by upstream mountain runoff and heavy rainfall, began on Aug 20.
It quickly spread to Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur, and Cox's Bazar, reports bdnews24.com.
Mohammad Zakir Hossain, the ministry’s senior information officer, said over 1.4 farmers have been impacted by the floods.
The damaged cropland includes 38,689 hectares of Aus, 141,609 hectares of Ropa Aman, 764 hectares of Boro Aman, 14,908 hectares of Ropa Aman seedbeds and 11,290 hectares of vegetables.
The ministry has planned a recovery programme to support affected farmers.
According to Zakir, it will provide free Ropa Aman seeds and fertiliser, along with Tk 136.6 million in cash aid, to 80,000 small and marginal farmers in nine districts.
In addition, Tk 2.28 billion will be allocated to 150,000 farmers in 22 districts for cultivating early winter vegetables on 5.0 per cent of their land, he added.
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, over 5 million people have been affected by the recent floods, with around 900,000 families stranded.
The death toll has risen to 71 across 11 districts, with 29 fatalities reported in Feni alone.
As the flood situation improves, the extent of the damage is becoming clearer, though many families remain waterlogged.
