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Rain and sun ruining 5,000 tonnes urea fertiliser kept under open sky

Our Correspondent | July 07, 2014 00:00:00


RANGPUR, July 6:  About 5,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser have been kept under the open sky due to lack of adequate space in the buffer stock godown in Rangpur district. As a result the quality of fertilisers is getting affected on account of long time exposure to rain and sun.

According to Rangpur buffer godown sources presently around 15,000 tonnes of urea is reserved at the buffer stock godown although it has the capacity to keep only 10,000 tonnes. Shortage of space in the warehouses forced them to pile up huge fertiliser sacks under the open sky, buffer godown authority said.

At present the supply of urea fertiliser is being hindered, as the dealers in the district are experiencing dull sale during last couple of month, sources said.

Therefore, there is no sufficient demand for fertiliser to the farmers' level. Consequently huge quantity of Urea fertiliser remaining stockpiled and reportedly unsold at the godowns, sources also said.

According to DAE sources, the accommodation problem in the godown would ease if the dealers collect their allotment timely. Quality of fertiliser declines if it remains exposed to the sun and rain for long.

A number of dealers told The Financial Express that they sometimes hesitated to take delivery as demand for Chinese fertiliser was low due to its poor quality.

Expressing apprehension a number of Farmers said, some of the urea turned rock solid in bags so they might not get satisfactory result on applying the fertiliser to the crop fields.

Rangpur buffer godown in-charge Mukul Miah said, "We have covered the heaps of fertiliser sacks with tarpaulin to protect those from rain. Adequate security guards have been appointed to watch those, he added.

"In the last season, huge fertilisers clotted in the buffer stock godown and the dealers filed complaint with BCIC, as farmers refused to accept such fertilisers. The authority did not take initiative regarding the matter and the dealers stopped drawing fertilisers despite the threat of license cancellation," said Motahar Hossain Moula, General Secretary, Rangpur Fertiliser Dealers' Association.

Fertilisers kept in the open space for long may clot due to rain. Farmers do not show eagerness in buying such fertilisers as they face problem while spraying it in the crop field. He also urged the government to build more warehouses in order to ease the problem.


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