
Bangladesh on Sunday announced a relief package worth about $1.7 billion to help farmers struggling because of restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Bangladesh has extended its lockdown by 11 days to last till April 25, a move that could exacerbate the difficulties faced by the country's hundreds of thousands of rice, fish, dairy, poultry and vegetable farmers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the relief package, which includes $590 million for cheap farm loans and $1.1 billion for fertiliser subsidies, is designed to help farmers who are struggling to sell their produce during the lockdown.
"Disasters come. We'll have to face it boldly," Hasina said. "We want to make sure that our farming sector continues its smooth production."
The number of coronavirus cases in the South Asia region crossed 14,500 on Sunday. India, with 8,356 cases and 273 deaths, was the worst hit.
(with inputs from Reuters)