Cox's Bazar, Oct 26 (V7N)- In response to the significant damage to arable lands caused by heavy rains, floods, and landslides across Cox's Bazar, the Department of Agricultural Extension has launched an agricultural rehabilitation program to support 12,000 farmers. This initiative aims to help farmers recover from the loss of crops during the Kharif-2 season by providing financial and material support across nine upazilas.

Under this program, each listed farmer will receive seeds for eight varieties of winter vegetables—including tomatoes, pumpkins, gourds, peppers, and cabbages—along with a cash assistance of BDT 1,000 for every bigha of cultivated land. Through the program, 3,500 farmers in Chakaria, 2,000 in Pekua, 1,500 each in Cox’s Bazar Sadar and Ramu, and smaller numbers in other affected upazilas will receive aid via mobile banking.

Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension, Bimal Kumar Authentic, highlighted the government’s allocation of BDT 3.86 crore for this program in Cox’s Bazar, affirming the department’s ongoing efforts to address the flood damage and support recovery. Stringent guidelines have also been set to ensure fair distribution of aid, with instructions to exclude multiple members from the same family.

Ukhia Upazila Agriculture Officer, Nizam Uddin, mentioned that the beneficiary list is being finalized, and soon the affected farmers will receive the designated incentives. Ramu Upazila Agriculture Officer, Tanzila Rahman, further noted that farmers will also receive on-ground support during seed planting and harvest.

This relief initiative is part of a larger agricultural rehabilitation effort by the Ministry of Agriculture, with 27 districts nationwide impacted by floods and 23 districts, including Cox’s Bazar, suffering crop damage across approximately 208,573 hectares. The interim government has emphasized agricultural support to help affected farmers regain stability through both cash and material aid.

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