Staff Reporter :
Farmers in at least 30 districts under Rangpur, Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions and Jessore region are being compelled to pay higher prices for fertiliser and diesel during the peak Boro season due to the ongoing blockade.
The non-stop blockade, enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance since January 6, has seriously hampered the supply chain across the country. As a result, prices of both urea and non-urea fertilisers and diesel have shot up, sources said.
The blockaders are attacking trucks and other vehicles carrying fertilizer and diesel, even those are run under the police escort. Truck drivers are reluctant to work as they are also afraid of arson and bomb attacks.
Prices of fertilisers, including urea, TSP, MOP, DAP and MAP, increased by Tk 5 to 10 per kg at retail level while the irrigation cost raised by Tk 150 to 200 per bigha during the current irrigation season.
Experts said the production cost would go up by 15-20 per cent due to sharp hike in input costs caused by the ongoing blockade and the farmers will be the hard hit.
Jamal Uddin, a farmer who lives at Fulbari upazila in Kurigram district, said urea is now being sold at Tk 22- 24 per kg against Tk 16 fixed by the government.
He said that sellers are charging extra as the transportation cost have gone up significantly, resulting in hike of urea price. He informed that diammonium phosphate (DAP) is now being sold at Tk 34-35 per kg against Tk 25.
“TSP, the most demandable fertiliser after urea, is being sold at Tk 28-30 against Tk 22 per kg,” he said. Fertiliser cost per bigha would shoot up by Tk 200 this year, considering the requirement of 35 kgs of urea and 18 kgs of non-urea per bigha, he added. Abdul Majid, a farmer who lives in Adalpur at sadar upazila of Kushtia, said deep tube-well owners were charging Tk 1,500-1,550 per bigha for irrigation which was Tk 1,350-1,400 last year.
Akkel Ali mondol, a water pump owner at Mirpur upazila of Kushtia district said that diesel is being sold at Tk 74-76 per litre against Tk 68 fixed by the government.
He said it takes 1.25 litres of diesel worth Tk 95 for per bigha for irrigation which was Tk 85 before the countrywide blockade started. The price of kerosene also went up which is used by the pump operators at night, he added.
Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA) Dhaka Unit Secretary Md Fazlul Hoque said that the dealers have an adequate stock of fertilisers, but disruption in transportation is causing problems in many areas.
He said now each union has a dealer who can easily supply fertiliser to the farmers.
Mohammad Nazmul Hoque, president of Bangladesh Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners’ Association, said that there are enough stock in government depots, but fuel can’t be supplied to retailers due to the blockade.
The demand for diesel is much higher during the January-March period due to the Boro cultivation season, he added. Taking the Boro cultivation into account, Nazmul said, the BPC estimated a demand for diesel at 0.2 million tonnes for Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions.
“River routes are safe, but traffic on highways from Baghabari or Parbatipur to other parts of Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions has severely been disrupted.”
The BPC official also pointed out that besides supplying oil for irrigation and other purposes, it is necessary to carry oil for 18 power plants in the northern regions which should also be kept running for smooth supply of electricity for Boro cultivation as vast tracts of land are irrigated by electricity-run water pumps.
According to data of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), around 1.4 million water pumps remain operative during Boro season of which 1.1 million run on diesel and 0.3 million on electricity.
