PANCHAGARH, Aug 19: This full season of T-Aman cultivation, farmers in the district are not getting adequate fertiliser. Even many are not getting it at all without paying more money than the government rate.
Already farmers have spent extra money for irrigation, weeding, and pest controlling. Now the fertiliser crisis is killing their last capacity.
Beyond syndicated prices, none is getting fertiliser. Due to lack of fertiliser, transplanted Aman (T-Aman) fields are turning yellow.
In a compelling situation, some farmers are purchasing fertiliser counting extra money. But they are also getting coagulated fertiliser.
A common allegation has been raised that dealers and seasonal traders are bagging lakh of taka through price trickery.
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), a total of 99,960 hectares of land have been targeted for T-Aman cultivation in the district this year. So far, 86 per cent of these have been planted. The paddy production target has been fixed at 2,91,380 metric tons (mt).
This season the government has allocated a total of 1,086 mt of TSP fertiliser against the demand of 3,120 mt. It was followed by DAP 1,150 mt against the demand of 3,066 mt, and MOP 1,230 mt against the demand of 4,949 mt, and Urea 3,437 mt against the demand of 6,682 mt.
Farmers said, planting of Aman lands require at least four times of fertiliser application; the government has fixed per bag TSP fertiliser at Tk 1,100, Urea at Tk 800, DAP at 800, MOP at Tk 750. But farmers are not getting fertilisers at these rates, they added.
In haats and bazaars on the outskirts of the town, per bag TSP is selling at Tk 1,500, followed by Urea at Tk 1,000, and Potash at Tk 900. In some villages, these fertilisers are selling in much higher prices.
Despite purchasing fertilisers at higher prices, farmers are receiving receipts of the government rates. Due to trickery of traders and dealers, farmers are being affected.
For over the last one month, this situation has been continuing in the district. But the Department of Agriculture Extension and fertiliser-seed distribution and evaluation committee did not take any initiative in this regard.
In Panchagarh, there are 160 dealers of BADC (Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation) and 47 ones of BCIC (Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation) in the district. But only a handful number of them are controlling the fertiliser bazaars. Farmers have been hostage to the syndicate of two/three dealers. Dealership has been given on five/seven names of a same family.
According to the government rules, local people of every union are supposed to be given dealership. But it has been different in this case; people from the upazila and the district have been appointed dealers; in their own shops, dealers have exhibited fertiliser for show; but from most of the godowns of the dealers are selling fertilisers secretly to farmers of remote villages; rounding for several days, farmers are not getting fertiliser; in some cases, they are getting fertiliser at higher prices.
In this situation, farmers have become frustrated with their Aman cultivation.
Farmer Ashraful Islam of Buraburi Haradighi area in Tentulia Upazila said, "I didn't get slip after long waiting for several hours at Shalbahan High School ground. Now I am going back without fertiliser. Fertiliser is available at higher prices. If the government rate is bargained, dealers and traders just deny availability. I couldn't plant my Aman saplings. I don't know what will happen with me."
The same reaction was expressed by farmer Abu Taher. He said, "I have planted Aman saplings on five bighas of land. But I couldn't apply fertiliser yet now. We are told fertiliser is available if the syndicated price is agreed."
Farmer Maznu Mia of Thunthuniapara Village at Teeronihat Union in Tentulia Upazila said, none of the dealers, wholesalers, and shoppers is giving fertiliser. "I did not get fertiliser from anywhere. Now slip system has been introduced. No slip no fertiliser. Despite getting slip facing huddle, I could not take fertiliser."
Farmer Hasen Ali of Gitalgochh Village at Bhajanpur Union in Tentulia Upazila said, "We are in crises of both water and fertiliser. Where will we go? What will eat if paddy is not cultivated?"
Solaiman Ali of Shalbahanhat Union said, "I am not getting fertiliser from anywhere. Without fertiliser application, paddy production will decline. Already paddy plants are becoming yellow due to want of fertiliser. "
Union Chairman at Haribasa Union of Sadar Upazila Md Nuruzzaman said, showing crisis of fertiliser traders and dealers are realising extra Tk 200 to 500 per bag.
He alleged, retail traders in haats and bazaars are purchasing fertiliser from dealers at higher price than the government rate.
Retail fertiliser trader Shariful Islam of Shalbahanhat in Tentulia Upazila said, "At a time, 5 to 7 people are thronging the shop. It is not possible to give fertliser to so many farmers alone."
Retail trader Ansarul Islam of Shikarpur area in Sadar Upazila said, fertiliser is being purchased at higher rate from dealers; they are charging higher price but making memo of lower price. "That is why we have to sell at higher price," he added.
Retail fertiliser trader Moniranjan Ray of Burirban area at Dhakkamara Union in Sadar Upazila said, "We are not getting fertiliser from dealers. Dealers are passing coagulated and damaged fertiliser to us. In many times, we have to sell this fertiliser to farmers at cheap price."
Director Md Abdul Hannan Sheikh of Bangladesh Fertiliser Association- District (Panchagarh) Committee refused all allegations. He said, there is no fertiliser crisis, no extra price, and no dealers' syndicate.
He further said, "We wanted additional allocation of fertiliser. We have got it. The crisis will be no longer."
It was learnt, T-Aman is early cultivated in southern region; as there is no demand of fertiliser there, fertiliser is coming to Panchagarh from that region and being sold at higher prices.
Deputy Director of the DAE Md Mizanur Rahman said, "I have heard about fertiliser crisis and farmers not getting fertiliser. But there is no fertiliser crisis in the district. If the government fixed rate violation is found, legal measures including cancellation of dealership will be taken."
He further said, the buffer godown in Panchagarh has not been opened yet. After opening this, there will remain no problem, he added.
