The jute growers in Faridpur, a top jute-producing district of the country, are in deep trouble due to a severe shortage of farm workers triggered by the ongoing shutdown enforced to curb the spread of coronavirus outbreak.    Farmers said they have become upset as they cannot hire labourers to weed their land, and their woes have worsened with the growing pest attacks.    Jute, a fibre that can be spun into sackcloth, is a brand product of Faridpur and its branding slogan is ‘Sonali Ashe Bharpur, Bhalabasi Faridpur’.

The Fisheries and Livestock Ministry said it sold 421,000kg fish through mobile stalls across the country on Saturday alone.   “The fish is worth Tk 7.73 crore,” said a handout from the Ministry.   It said the initiative to sell goods received much appreciation from the beneficiaries.   According to the ministry, they took the initiative for selling milk, egg, fish and poultry goods produced by marginal farmers and entrepreneurs in a bid to help them amid the ongoing shutdown.   Between April 25 and May 1, mobile stalls sold milk, eggs and poultry chicken worth Tk 176.27 crore.   Earlier on April 22, the ministry directed the officials of Fisheries Department and Department of Livestock Services at district and upazila levels to materialise the project.   The government has so far reported 175 deaths and 8,790 coronavirus cases in Bangladesh.   As the number of new cases continues to rise, the government decided to extend the ongoing holiday till May 16.