PM Hasina announces Tk 50b package for agriculture sector
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday announced a Tk 50 billion stimulus package for the agriculture sector to boost crop production to overcome the possible COVID-19 impact.
“We’re going to undertake a new scheme of Tk 50 billion with maximum five per cent interest rate to help small and medium level farmers to raise food production,” she told a videoconferencing with public representatives and officials in Khulna and Barisal divisions.
The prime minister also said Bangladesh Bank would formulate the refinancing scheme of Tk 50 billion to be disbursed as current capital in the agriculture sector, fixing the maximum interest rate at client level at five per cent.
“The rural small and medium farmers will get the loan from the fund and they can use the money in producing agriculture, flower, fruits, fish, poultry etc,” she told the conference from her Ganabhaban official residence in the capital.
Sheikh Hasina simultaneously announced allocation of an increased amount of Tk 90 billion as a subsidy in fertiliser in the next budget as part of government strategy to minimise the impact of the deadly virus on economy.
The prime minister exchanged views and issued directives as the public representatives and officials took part in the virtual conference from 16 costal districts in the two southwestern divisions to review the present coronavirus situation.
Sheikh Hasina also declared an allocation of Tk two billion for harvesting and mechanisation of agriculture and Tk 1.5 billion for seeds and seedlings distribution among affected farmers so that they can continue agriculture production.
She said Bangladesh still was an agriculture-dependent country and the current situation demanded enhanced volume of yield and “that’s why we are taking special measures”.
Sheikh Hasina also said the nation now await start of Boro harvesting soon while her government would procure extra 200,000 tonnes of paddy compared to the last fiscal to ensure fair price for the producers.