The farmers in Jhenaidah will have to pay over Taka 210 crore for increased price of the chemical fertilizers when the government has refixed the prices of four types of the fertilizer. Although the matter had shocked the farmers, the dealers and retailers under Bangladesh Chemical Industries corporation (BCIC) were benefited who had huge quantity of the same in their stocks.
Further, the farmers have bitter experience about the “mechanism” to realize money from the innocent farmers saying artificial crisis of the same. But the farmers including marginal, middle class and well to do both cannot see any ray of hope to get relief from the additional expenses which will increase one-third of the fertilizer cost as it will increase the production cost.
Officials of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah means although the price was increased at Taka five per kilogram, it will not affect the farmers much as they always apply excessive chemical fertilizers on their lands haphazardly. If they use the same in proper doses, it will reduce the cost for fertilizer and they could minimize the expenditure for farming. Excessive application of chemical fertilizers has been damaging the quality of the soil and demand for the same has been alarmingly increasing throughout the country, the source said.
A number of farmers when contacted at Kalicharanpur village in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila said they will have to pay additional one-third money for chemical fertilizer purposes, while they cannot see any “reasonable reason” behind enhance of the prices for their agro-produces.
Ayub Ali, a retailer in chemical fertilizer at Sekhra Bazer under Shailkupa upazila when contacted said although there is no major demand of the fertilizers right now, some of the farmers rushing at his shop. But engaged in bargaining for previous rate of the fertilizers.
According to a source related to the Dae in Jhenaidah Khamarbari said they had submitted a demand notice to the higher authority to supply 170,690 tones of most popular urea, 72,010 tones of triple super phosphate (TSP), 93,358 tones of dye ammonium phosphate (DAP0 and 81,999 tones of muriate of potash (MoP) for the season 2023-24 for the farmers in the district. The said fertilizer will demand cost an amount of Taka 210 crore. Fertilizer wise additional cost was estimated for Taka 8534,50, 000 for urea, Taka 3600,56,000 for TSP, Taka 47 crore for DAP and Taka 41 crore for MoP. The farmers have to pay the amount in cash during purchasing the same from any BCIC dealer or sub dealer.
DAE Khamarbari Jhenaidah deputy director Asgar Ali when contacted said the government has taken decision to withdraw the subsidy o-n chemical fertilizer gradually. He said most of the farmers apply additional fertilizer on their croplands without maintaining proper doses ignoring the advices of the field level DAE officials. It increases the production cost and make the soil unfit as it damages the fertility or organic matters in the soil.
If they apply balanced or prescribed doses of the chemical fertilizers, it will reduce their production cost ultimately.
Regarding receiving additional prices of the crops of the farmers, the DAE official said he could not see any sign and symptoms when the prices of the crops could increase anyway.
