The government is getting tough on the fertiliser syndicate. The Ministry of Agriculture has instructed dealers not to drag their feet over lifting their allocated fertiliser on time, and has warned that legal action will be taken against anyone who tries to create a crisis over lifting allocations. Dealers have also been given a number of directions on fertiliser management.

The directions were given by Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid and Agriculture Secretary Md Selim Khan at a meeting on fertiliser management at the ministry on Tuesday, 25 August. Deputy commissioners (DCs) of various districts and agriculture department officials were told to enforce them strictly.

The disorder over fertiliser across the country has reportedly been created by a syndicate among a section of dealers, who, to put the government in a difficult position, have been claiming a shortage without lifting their own allocations. Farmers have been harassed in various ways, including having to pay higher prices.

The ministry says dealers in many northern districts spread talk of a crisis without lifting their allocations, while others kept fertiliser in warehouses and sold it at higher prices.

To end this, a meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday, 24 August. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ordered that those trying to create the crisis be brought to justice quickly. He also formed a five-member high-level committee, including the agriculture minister and secretary, to monitor the situation and find out the real reasons behind it.

Following this, the ministry held the meeting with DCs and senior agriculture officials, where it was directed that dealers must not delay lifting their allocations in any way, and that monitoring of all fertiliser lifting and sales be stepped up.

Under the directions, dealers and retailers must record every sale in a register and must give buyers a sales receipt, so that no one can sell fertiliser at higher prices. Every dealer's and retailer's shop must also display the government price list for urea, TSP, DAP and MOP in a visible place.

The meeting ordered that anyone who breaks these rules be brought under the law. It also addressed a rumour that retailers were being scrapped immediately under the new fertiliser management policy.

Retailers will carry on their normal business and are not being cancelled now, the meeting said. Their operations will end only when the appointment of new dealers is finalised and the dealers' sales representatives join the system.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.