The country has adequate stocks of fertiliser and there will be no shortage during the Boro season, Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid has said.

The minister said this while talking to journalists at the Secretariat on Tuesday (23 January) afternoon. Earlier, Russia's ambassador in Dhaka, Alexander Mantitsky, paid a courtesy call on the agriculture minister.

The minister said: "There are adequate stocks of fertiliser. There will be no shortage of any kind in the Boro season. Probable demand for urea until March this year is 8 lakh 86 thousand tonnes. Against this, current stock and the probable pipeline together will total 13 lakh 51 thousand tonnes. Similarly, against demand of 2 lakh 41 thousand tonnes of TSP, the stock will be 3 lakh 88 thousand tonnes. Against 3 lakh 14 thousand tonnes of DAP demand, the stock will be 4 lakh 76 thousand tonnes. And against 2 lakh 23 thousand tonnes of MoP demand, the stock will be 5 lakh 27 thousand tonnes."

He said: "We will see that prices of goods remain under control. When rice prices rise, it puts pressure on people. We are alert to this. Whatever help is needed from our ministry, wherever, will be provided. We will try to keep prices from rising, so that farmers get a fair price and there is no hoarding."

Abdus Shahid also said the government was keeping a strict watch to prevent hoarding and syndicates.

Because Bangladeshi mangoes are tasty and of good quality, Russia will import more of them this year, with a target of 50 tonnes. The country is also interested in cauliflower and papaya. The Russian ambassador said Russia would continue exporting fertiliser to Bangladesh.

The agriculture minister said: "Russia is our long-tested friend. They have been our friend since independence and will remain so. We will export mangoes, cauliflower, papaya and other products to Russia. We will certainly test the quality of the farm produce so there is no problem, and export it after testing."

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