Dhaka - Bangladesh launched Saturday an improved livelihood programme worth about 80 million dollars for the coastal farmers devastated by the Super-cyclone Sidr in late 2007, officials said. Initially, the Improved Livelihood for Sidr-Affected Rice Farmers Project, funded by the United States, will benefit some 280,000 farm families through restoring high-yielding rice production in eight cyclone-battered southern districts.

Bangladesh's Agricultural Affairs Minister Matia Chowdhury and US Ambassador in Dhaka James F Moriarty inaugurated the project in Barisal district aiming at better rice production by using a cost- effective Urea Deep Placement technology, according to a US embassy release.

By improving nitrogen efficiency, this technology increases rice crop yields generally by 25 of the normal production and lessen fertiliser use.

Bangladesh Agricultural Extension Department will implement the project with supports from the International Fertilizer Development Corporation of the US government.

Launching the project, the US ambassador said that the project would help increase incomes, provide more food and raise healthier children in the disaster prone areas.

"But it's not just about increasing production. It's about doing it in a more efficient and cost-effective way," Moriarty said assuring more assistance in construct of multipurpose cyclone shelters in the coastal areas.

The focus of the US assistance was to stimulate economic recovery and build back even better, said the envoy referring that the US has provided more than 5 billion dollars in development assistance to Bangladesh since the country came into being in 1971.

"We look forward to our partnership throughout the country to achieve our common goals: democracy, development, and denial of space to extremism," he added.

The 2007 super-cyclone that swept over Bangladesh's 12 coastal districts had left nearly 4,000 people dead and tens of thousands of homes damaged affecting livelihoods of millions of coastal residents. (dpa)