Joypurhat potato growers face fertiliser crisis
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Our Correspondent
JOYPURHAT, Dec 3: As a major potato grower district of the country, Joypurhat farmers are facing scarcity for fertiliser and low price of potato.
Potatoes will be cultivated in 37 thousand hectares of land in the district and production target is 647,500 tonnes this year.
In last season, 646400 tones potatoes were produced in 38,870 hectares of land. This year, 1,870 hectares of land has been curtailed from potato cultivation target of last year.
However, farmers apprehend that production target may not be achieved for high prices of SSP, DAP and MOP fertilisers. Some types of fertiliser are not available in the market and the government is allegedly supplying insufficient fertiliser to the farmers.
Price of one bag (50kg) SSP fertiliser ranges between Tk 4000 to Tk 4500 whereas last year it was Tk 1800 to Tk 2000. One bag (50kg) MOP sells in between the rates from Tk 3000 to Tk 3500, which was only Tk 1000 to Tk 1200. The rate of every bag DAP (50kg) ranges from Tk 5000 to Tk 5500, which was Tk 2000.
High pricing of essential fertilisers in the running season frustrated potato growers of consecutive losses as they could not make profit last year.
Upazillas Akkelpur, Kalai, Khetlal and Joypurhat Sadar under the district are famous for potato cultivation.
Mahatab Ali (40), a potato grower of Harunja village in Kalai upazilla said, "I had bought motor cycle and erected a good house making profit from potato cultivation. But last year I incurred huge loss that stripped my capacity of buying sufficient fertiliser."
Kabirul Mondal of Rukindipur village under Akkelpur Upazila said, "Every year we cultivate potato in 5 acres of land and we gain a lot of benefit but this years I will cultivate only one acre because of high price of fertiliser. Last year per bigha production cost was 20 thousand but comparatively I did not get price of this crop. This year production cost will be 30 thousand per bigha that is so high for us."
Most of the farmers in various areas under the district expressed the same idea to the FE correspondent that high price of local fertiliser and low quality of Indian smuggled fertiliser will push down cultivation target and Indian fertiliser is damaging fertility of our land.
However, Joypurhat DAE Deputy Director Mohsin Ali expressed hope that though Joypurhat farmer are facing fertilizer problem but production target would be achieved.
JOYPURHAT, Dec 3: As a major potato grower district of the country, Joypurhat farmers are facing scarcity for fertiliser and low price of potato.
Potatoes will be cultivated in 37 thousand hectares of land in the district and production target is 647,500 tonnes this year.
In last season, 646400 tones potatoes were produced in 38,870 hectares of land. This year, 1,870 hectares of land has been curtailed from potato cultivation target of last year.
However, farmers apprehend that production target may not be achieved for high prices of SSP, DAP and MOP fertilisers. Some types of fertiliser are not available in the market and the government is allegedly supplying insufficient fertiliser to the farmers.
Price of one bag (50kg) SSP fertiliser ranges between Tk 4000 to Tk 4500 whereas last year it was Tk 1800 to Tk 2000. One bag (50kg) MOP sells in between the rates from Tk 3000 to Tk 3500, which was only Tk 1000 to Tk 1200. The rate of every bag DAP (50kg) ranges from Tk 5000 to Tk 5500, which was Tk 2000.
High pricing of essential fertilisers in the running season frustrated potato growers of consecutive losses as they could not make profit last year.
Upazillas Akkelpur, Kalai, Khetlal and Joypurhat Sadar under the district are famous for potato cultivation.
Mahatab Ali (40), a potato grower of Harunja village in Kalai upazilla said, "I had bought motor cycle and erected a good house making profit from potato cultivation. But last year I incurred huge loss that stripped my capacity of buying sufficient fertiliser."
Kabirul Mondal of Rukindipur village under Akkelpur Upazila said, "Every year we cultivate potato in 5 acres of land and we gain a lot of benefit but this years I will cultivate only one acre because of high price of fertiliser. Last year per bigha production cost was 20 thousand but comparatively I did not get price of this crop. This year production cost will be 30 thousand per bigha that is so high for us."
Most of the farmers in various areas under the district expressed the same idea to the FE correspondent that high price of local fertiliser and low quality of Indian smuggled fertiliser will push down cultivation target and Indian fertiliser is damaging fertility of our land.
However, Joypurhat DAE Deputy Director Mohsin Ali expressed hope that though Joypurhat farmer are facing fertilizer problem but production target would be achieved.