BCIC dealers face difficulties with unsold fertiliser
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Sept 29: A huge quantity of fertiliser worth over Taka 110 million (11 crore) remained stockpiled at the godowns of 88 dealers of BCIC ( Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation) as the farmers of the district are reluctant to purchase those at a high price.
Those unsold fertlisers include TSP (triple super phosphate) and potash.
The farmers of the district, are rather purchasing low-quality, adulterated smuggled Indian fertilisers and applying those to their fields because those are cheap and easily available in local markets.
At the same time, fertiliser dealers of BCIC in Rajshahi district are in difficulty with their huge stocks of fertiliser.
The government has recently suspended selling of fertiliser in open market and increased the price of fertilisers two to three times compared to the previous price.
As a result, farmers' suffering increased due to not getting fertiliser in the open market while they found it hard to purchase fertiliser through 'slips' at such exorbitant prices from the dealers.
The government has recently refixed the price of urea fertiliser at Taka 600 per sac, Potash fertiliser at Taka 2,785 per sac and TSP at Taka 3,823 per sac.
The price of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) could not be refixed as its supply was not available for the last seven months.
According to sources from Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rajshahi, 88 BCIC dealers in Rajshahi have 707 tonnes of potash fertiliser and 604 tonnes of TSP stockpiled at their godowns the price of which is about Taka 115.5 million.
The BCIC dealers have identified the exorbitant selling rate of the fertiliser and the low price of Indian smuggled fertilisers as responsible for the unsold stock at the godowns of BCIC dealers.
While talking to this correspondent, a farmer of Rajabari village under Godagari thana said the farmers have to sell four kilograms of paddy to purchase a kilogram of TSP and two kilograms of paddy for purchasing one kilogram of potash.
"The government is destroying us. We don't know what we shall eat and what we shall apply to our fields," said aggrieved farmer Abdur Rob of Rajabari village.
RAJSHAHI, Sept 29: A huge quantity of fertiliser worth over Taka 110 million (11 crore) remained stockpiled at the godowns of 88 dealers of BCIC ( Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation) as the farmers of the district are reluctant to purchase those at a high price.
Those unsold fertlisers include TSP (triple super phosphate) and potash.
The farmers of the district, are rather purchasing low-quality, adulterated smuggled Indian fertilisers and applying those to their fields because those are cheap and easily available in local markets.
At the same time, fertiliser dealers of BCIC in Rajshahi district are in difficulty with their huge stocks of fertiliser.
The government has recently suspended selling of fertiliser in open market and increased the price of fertilisers two to three times compared to the previous price.
As a result, farmers' suffering increased due to not getting fertiliser in the open market while they found it hard to purchase fertiliser through 'slips' at such exorbitant prices from the dealers.
The government has recently refixed the price of urea fertiliser at Taka 600 per sac, Potash fertiliser at Taka 2,785 per sac and TSP at Taka 3,823 per sac.
The price of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) could not be refixed as its supply was not available for the last seven months.
According to sources from Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rajshahi, 88 BCIC dealers in Rajshahi have 707 tonnes of potash fertiliser and 604 tonnes of TSP stockpiled at their godowns the price of which is about Taka 115.5 million.
The BCIC dealers have identified the exorbitant selling rate of the fertiliser and the low price of Indian smuggled fertilisers as responsible for the unsold stock at the godowns of BCIC dealers.
While talking to this correspondent, a farmer of Rajabari village under Godagari thana said the farmers have to sell four kilograms of paddy to purchase a kilogram of TSP and two kilograms of paddy for purchasing one kilogram of potash.
"The government is destroying us. We don't know what we shall eat and what we shall apply to our fields," said aggrieved farmer Abdur Rob of Rajabari village.