The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) yesterday stressed more on post-cyclone agricultural rehabilitation, than depending on imported food to tackle any crisis.

The think tank suggested a package programme for rehabilitation of agriculture in the cyclone-hit area.

The package should include supply of seed, tillage equipment, low lift pump for irrigation, supply of fertilizer and agricultural loans for purchased inputs.

CPD in association with BRAC, the largest NGO, conducted an assessment of the agricultural damage caused by Sidr and released a report at a press conference yesterday.

A team comprising experts of CPD and BRAC visited different areas in Madaripur, Barisal, Barguna, Pirojpur, Bagerhat and Gopalganj districts and Bhanga upazila on December 6-8. They had several meetings with cyclone-affected people, including farmers.

BRAC executive director Mahbub Hossain and CPD senior research fellow Uttam Deb narrated their experiences gathered from their visit to the ravaged coastal belt.

The economists did not rule out the possibility of severe food crisis but were optimistic to say that with integrated effort of all stakeholders Bangladesh will successfully overcome the challenges posed by Sidr and move forward.

"To tackle the apprehended crisis, the government should be aware of maintaining the supply chain and purchasing power of the people," Executive Director of CPD Prof Mustafizur Rahman said.

"Historically all the previous famines in the world occurred due to disruption of food distribution mechanism and erosion in purchasing power of people rather than shortage of food," he said.

The economists suggested all to provide the support to farmers in their endeavour to stand on their feet and at the same time enable the nation to maintain food security. Describing the distribution of fertilisers as the main y, Mahbub Hossain said the rationing process of the fertilisers proved that the government is now in some kind of problems with the fertilisers, although they are not admitting it.

"It will be the best solution to make available fertilisers in the country to slightly recover the deficit of rice," he said.

Quoting the farmers he said that the normal micro-credit that requires for weekly repayment was not suitable for the crop loan. They prefer seasonal crop loans, which may be recovered in one or two instalments after the harvest of crops.

Mahbub Hossain said loan requirement for fish farmers is high. They (farmers) ask for a loan of Tk 20,000 to Tk. 50,000 for fish cultivation in one-bigha of pond. They can repay the loan over a period of two years, in monthly instalments, after a four to six months grace period.

Dr Uttam Deb said irrigation facilities are almost absent and there is inadequate supply of tillage equipment in the Sidr-hit area. Timely tillage has become a critical constrain in view of huge loss of livestock.

He said power pumps and power tillers in adequate numbers have to be made available within a short period of time and arrangements should be made to provide their services to small and marginal farmers on easy terms.

The economists in their written statement said the cash requirement for crop cultivation, including the cost of fuel for tillage and irrigation is estimated at Tk 4000 per bigha for high yielding variety (HYV) rice and Hybrid maize.

Mahbub Hossain said for a farm household targeting two bighas of land for dry season farming, the demand for loan should be about Tk 8000.

The BRAC executive director said that his non-governmental organisation would go for providing seasonal loans to the farmers like the BKB, setting aside their traditional micro-credit operations.

He also said that due to the two recent floods and cyclone the total loss of rice would amount to Tk 26,000 crore.