Farmers in Naldanga, Natore, are standing in line for hours and still not getting the fertiliser they need as they prepare land for the rabi and boro seasons, and many who wait from dawn go home empty-handed. On the morning of Wednesday 4 November tension over the distribution at Madhnagar bazar led to police being deployed there.
Farmers complain that many who hold tokens are not given the amount they asked for, that some people jump the queue, and that some who do not farm at all are leaving with vans full of fertiliser. The result, they say, is that genuine growers lose out, along with the time and labour spent waiting, and that field work is being held up.
They want each farmer's identity and land area checked and fertiliser supplied accordingly, with closer supervision of dealers' shops. When the situation grew heated, Naldanga police brought it under control and stayed on to keep distribution running normally.
Upazila agriculture officer Sabuj Ali said there is no fertiliser shortage in the upazila and that monitoring has been stepped up to prevent an artificial shortage and to make sure dealers follow the rules. He asked farmers not to panic and to be patient, saying each area would receive enough in turn.
Upazila executive officer Shammi Akter, who chairs the fertiliser and seed monitoring committee, also said there is no shortage, that arrangements have been made for real farmers to get enough, and that distribution is being monitored regularly. The gap between what farmers describe and what officials say comes at the start of the season, when demand for fertiliser climbs.
Source: Agricare24
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