Although almost three months have passed since the floodwaters receded, these fruit farmers have not yet received any compensation. Regarding government aid to help fruit farmers rebuild their orchards, Moazzem Hossain, deputy director of the district DAE office, said the department could not help fruit orchard owners as they were not included in the government aid program intended to help flood-affected farmers in the region. Shakhawat Hossain, one of the affected malta orchard owners in Niamatkandi of Shibchar upazila, said: “I began building a fruit orchard on 90 decimals of the land at the end of 2017. Madaripur DAE Deputy Director Moazzem Hossain said he had heard about malta plants and other fruit orchards being damaged in the floods. “But, unfortunately, malta or any fruit orchard owners weren’t included as beneficiaries of the government fund that was allocated to the department for flood-affected farmers.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 26, 2020 14:48 UTC