Dealers in Naogaon are accused of creating an artificial fertiliser shortage ahead of the early potato planting season. Local traders are charging at least Tk 400 to Tk 500 above the government-fixed price for each 50kg sack of DAP fertiliser. With potato prices already uncertain, farmers fear this syndicate of fertiliser traders will hamper this season's potato cultivation target.

Potato growers allege that dealers have suddenly raised fertiliser prices by forming a syndicate. Traders are holding farmers hostage for aman planting and forcing them to buy fertiliser at extra cost, and the same fertiliser is needed for potatoes. Farmers say they cannot grow potatoes buying fertiliser at such prices, and want dealers kept under watch to end the chaos in the fertiliser market.

According to the district DAE, the target this year is to grow potatoes on 21,300 hectares in the district. Potato planting runs from the first week of October to the first week of February, and farmers will grow early potatoes until December. Against this, 41,928 tonnes of fertiliser were allocated from July to September this year. Under the government-fixed prices, dealers may sell a 50kg sack of urea and of TSP for Tk 1,350, MOP for Tk 1,000 and DAP for Tk 1,050.

Rezaul Mondal, a farmer in Chakkanderpur village of Chandash union in Mohadevpur upazila, said: "I have grown aman paddy on two bighas. I had to buy each sack of DAP for Tk 500 over the government-fixed price. At this price I cannot buy fertiliser again to grow potatoes. Going by current market prices, the future of potatoes is already dark, so I have decided not to grow potatoes."

Gaffar, a farmer in Khirsin village of Patnitala upazila, said buying DAP recently added at least Tk 500 a bigha to his costs. Fertiliser is not available at the government price, so he is forced to buy it at a higher price from retail shops. He had to pay Tk 170 for 5kg of DAP, which is pushing up his farming costs.

Rezaul and Gaffar are not alone. Farmers in other upazilas, including Shariful Islam and Amjad Hossain of Naogaon Sadar upazila, are also buying fertiliser at extra cost. They say dealers are charging Tk 400 to Tk 500 more per sack of DAP than the government price, using a fertiliser shortage as an excuse, which adds to the cost of fertiliser and other inputs. Regular market monitoring is needed to end this chaos, they say.

Abdul Jalil and Golam Rabbani, retail fertiliser traders at Nawhata Mor in Mohadevpur upazila, said the prices of urea, MOP and TSP were fine but DAP was higher. They buy fertiliser from dealers at extra cost and sell it to farmers at a small profit, having to sell 5kg of DAP for Tk 160. They alleged that dealers had raised DAP prices through a syndicate.

Mizanur Rahman Talukder, acting president of the Naogaon district branch of the Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA) and a district BCIC fertiliser dealer, said there is no fertiliser shortage. Dealers are selling at the government price and delivering fertiliser to farmers' doorsteps, he said, and the rumours are being spread by a group trying to get new dealers appointed.

Homayra Mondal, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Naogaon district, told Jago News there is an adequate supply of fertiliser, so there is no room for an artificial shortage. If specific complaints are received of anyone selling fertiliser at higher prices, strict action will be taken, she said.

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