Farmers in Jibannagar, Chuadanga, have been left at the mercy of fertiliser sellers. BCIC, BADC and retail fertiliser dealers are selling fertiliser at higher prices, ignoring the rates fixed by the government. Unable to buy at a fair price, farmers are paying more all the time, and they say complaints to the upazila agriculture office have brought no remedy.

On a visit to the area, retail fertiliser trader Md Aynal Haque was found selling urea, priced at Tk 1,100 a sack, for Tk 1,250, and potash, priced at Tk 750 a sack, for Tk 1,500. Other retail traders in the same market, Kalam Hossain, Faruk Hossain, Imran Hossain and Taleb Hossain, were selling urea at Tk 1,350 a sack and potash at Tk 1,500 a sack.

At Minajpur and Barandi bazars, most fertiliser traders were not selling at the government price. When a stranger went to a shop to buy urea or potash, he was told there was none; moments later, when a farmer known to the seller came in, he was sold fertiliser at a higher price.

At Haque Traders, the BCIC (Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation) approved dealer tagged to Andulbaria union of Jibannagar upazila, the shop was found shut at 6pm. Farmers who had come to buy fertiliser and were standing outside said the shop is closed most of the time. Farmers allege that Haque Traders sells most of its fertiliser to retailers at higher prices under cover of darkness.

To make sure farmers can apply fertiliser on time, the government's Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) market fertiliser to farmers through dealers appointed across the country. Under government rules, one dealer is appointed in each union, and the dealership is given on condition that the dealer does business in that union. Yet most fertiliser traders' godowns are inside the municipality.

Dealers for several unions are located on both sides of Duttanagar Road in Jibannagar upazila town, although the rule is that they keep godowns in their unions and sell to marginal farmers there.

Farmers claim the dealers are creating an artificial shortage through a syndicate to earn extra money, forcing farmers to buy at higher prices.

Local people say the agriculture department does no supervision of the fertiliser trade in Jibannagar, and with no oversight the traders run their business as they please. Dealers are meant to sell to farmers against a cash memo, but they do not do so because they are selling at higher prices.

While BADC and BCIC dealers and retail traders sell above the government price, agriculture officials say they have received no complaints or adequate evidence from farmers. They want shop sales receipts or other proof.

It is alleged that when a buyer asks a dealer for a receipt, the receipt shows the government price. Anyone who protests is not sold fertiliser, and is told that the allocated fertiliser has run out and what remains had to be bought from outside at extra cost.

Sufi Alam, a farmer in West Barandi village of Raipur union, said: "I don't know whether there is any fertiliser dealer in our area. We are forced to buy fertiliser at higher prices from godowns in town."

Golam Rahman, a farmer in Anantapur village of Andulbaria union, said the same. "We are buying urea at Tk 27 a kg and potash at Tk 30 a kg," he said.

According to the upazila agriculture office, Aman has been planted on 6,020 hectares in Jibannagar upazila this season. Against this, 200 tonnes of TSP, 225 tonnes of potash, 511 tonnes of DAP and 920 tonnes of urea have been allocated for September. The agriculture office says there should be no shortage of fertiliser.

Jibannagar upazila agriculture officer Sharmin Akhter said the licence of any fertiliser trader found selling at a higher price would be cancelled. BCIC- and BADC-approved dealers and retail sellers in the upazila have already been warned to sell at the government price, she said.

Jibannagar upazila nirbahi officer Md Ariful Islam said: "Farmers are the life of the country. If fertiliser traders are holding farmers hostage and selling at higher prices, strict action will be taken against those shopkeepers. From now on the fertiliser market will be monitored regularly. Those selling at higher prices will be jailed or fined by mobile courts. The farm sector cannot be obstructed in any way."

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