Streamlining the distribution of agricultural inputs
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Shahiduzzaman Khan
THERE has been acute shortage of fertiliser in the northern and southern districts of Bangladesh. Newspaper reports suggested that the farmers were locked in fistfights against the local distributors of Munshiganj district. Agitated farmers also brought out a procession in Rajbari district demanding adequate supply of fertiliser. In northern region of the country, acute crisis of fertiliser has been prevailing which is likely to hit winter cultivation. The farmers have been protesting against so-called government inaction throughout the region.
Some agricultural officials admitted that the crisis was prevailing in the northern region as there was a big gap between demand and allotment of fertiliser. Inadequate supply of fertiliser in the peak season of winter crop cultivation would create much sufferings to the cultivators. A door-to-door survey is in progress now for an assessment on how much land each grower was cultivating so that fertiliser could be distributed proportionately. The local agriculture extension department is conducting the survey.
Bangladesh has an annual demand for urea at about 2.87 million tonnes of which, the country's six urea fertiliser factories have been producing 1.9 million tonnes of urea a year. The shortfall is being met from imports of 0.6 million tonnes and purchase of 0.4 million tonnes from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (KAFCO) at international rates.
Yet the country might suffer scarcity of fertiliser in the next peak-harvesting season due to the closure of two state-owned fertiliser factories and procedural delay in releasing fund for imports. It is feared that such suspension of fertiliser production and delay in imports will create a supply crisis of the manure in the country. There is no denying that problems in the age-old machinery of the factories were responsible for the suspension of fertiliser production several times a year. Besides, such factories are unable to produce required amount of fertiliser due to depreciation of their machinery parts.
The authorities are blaming a section of dishonest businessman for creating artificial crisis of fertiliser. On the other hand, the dealers said that they did not get supply of the fertiliser in time. Supply-chain was being obstructed by traffic disruptions at various points. Poor navigability of rivers was a point while dense fog in the morning was another obstacle. In fact, most of the people and organisations linked with the fertiliser business blamed each other for scarcity of the same. Such a 'blame game' is not new in the country's polity. When a crisis occurs, unfortunately none is seen to come forward to solve it instantly. The crises linger, with a section of vested interests trying to cash on it while the government machinery apparently sits idle -- limiting its activities to holding a number of casual inter-ministerial meetings only.
Unfortunate but otherwise resilient farmers of the northern region, unable to procure fertiliser from the dealers at fair price, purchased it from black market at exorbitant prices. Barring a few programmes in front of the upazila agricultural officer's office, the farmers do not go beyond that. They buy fertiliser and diesel at high prices and go for plantation only to find later that they are not getting fair prices of their produces. They blame their own fate for the disaster and never go for hard action.
The government is considering import of non-urea chemical fertiliser to sell those at a subsidised rate to the farmers, stopping its import by the private sector. The alleged irregularities by the private importers of non-urea fertiliser regarding the subsidy have prompted the government to consider doing the import on its own. Earlier, the government introduced a 25 percent subsidy for imported fertiliser including TSP, MoP and DAP in the last fiscal year so that the farmers get them at a reasonable price. It was alleged that a section of importers are involved in over invoicing to get extra benefit in the form of subsidy. Besides, many are importing huge quantities to make more profit in subsidy. A consensus was reached that the government, which is already importing urea fertiliser, will import the non-urea chemical fertiliser too.
The government has set up a fertiliser depot at the city's outskirt -- Aminbazar. It is reported that smooth transportation of fertiliser from Aminbazar to northern districts is being disrupted at many points. If that is the case, why is the government not setting up more depots in the northern region? Baghabari, Syedpur, Bogra etc., might be the sites of such depots. It also needs to streamline its supply arrangement of fertiliser first. It has to be smooth and quick. The adequate supply to the grassroots level must be ensured. Farmers must get it ahead of their plantation. Side by side, irrigation activities need to be geared up to support the soil condition for farming.
Added to the persistent woes, supply of fuel oil is also being disrupted at various points. Farmers are also complaining about shortage of diesel and its high price. Diesel is also being smuggled out to the neighbouring countries. The government claimed that due to increased surveillance by the BDR, the RAB and the police force, smuggling of the diesel to India has fallen to a considerable extent. Since diesel price is high in India compared to Bangladesh, a section of black marketers tend to smuggle it to India for reaping high profits. Farmers are not interested to listen to whether there is a reduction in smuggling of diesel or not, they are only interested in getting steady supply of the same. The government must be agriculture-friendly, because it is the agriculture that dominates the country's economy. Survival of millions of people depends on this agriculture.
The farmers not only face shortage of fertiliser and diesel during the whole farming season, they have also to confront seed crisis, drought and excess rains very often. Nature makes them so vulnerable that they throw their own fate at its mercy. It is a never-ending process that moulds their life and reasons. Here science is just a mute spectator. Country's 80 per cent people live on agriculture. Without a through reform in agriculture, country's overcall economic improvement is highly an improbable proposition.
Industries Adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury denied any crisis of fertiliser in the country. She blamed media propaganda and 'some problems' in its distribution system for panicking the farmers into scramble for the agri-input. She said media were broadcasting reports on fertiliser crisis while growers showed their reluctance in standing in queue to get fertiliser. Not only the rice growers, fish and corn farmers as well were getting fertiliser allocations this season, which only proved that the government had adequate stocks of fertiliser to meet every requirement. She told the media that the government had decided to streamline the manure distribution countrywide, which included the decision of importing more fertiliser and building buffer stocks.
Regarding the irregularities in management of fertiliser distribution, the Industries Adviser said that punitive measures were being taken against those involved in such misdeeds. Some of the suspects have already been suspended. The government was taking a look at the distribution system to address the hurdles. The authorities were actively considering introducing a new system to be piloted at the field level. The 'improved' system would be introduced after the 'peak season' is over and the government was employing more people to strengthen the distribution system through the present season.
THERE has been acute shortage of fertiliser in the northern and southern districts of Bangladesh. Newspaper reports suggested that the farmers were locked in fistfights against the local distributors of Munshiganj district. Agitated farmers also brought out a procession in Rajbari district demanding adequate supply of fertiliser. In northern region of the country, acute crisis of fertiliser has been prevailing which is likely to hit winter cultivation. The farmers have been protesting against so-called government inaction throughout the region.
Some agricultural officials admitted that the crisis was prevailing in the northern region as there was a big gap between demand and allotment of fertiliser. Inadequate supply of fertiliser in the peak season of winter crop cultivation would create much sufferings to the cultivators. A door-to-door survey is in progress now for an assessment on how much land each grower was cultivating so that fertiliser could be distributed proportionately. The local agriculture extension department is conducting the survey.
Bangladesh has an annual demand for urea at about 2.87 million tonnes of which, the country's six urea fertiliser factories have been producing 1.9 million tonnes of urea a year. The shortfall is being met from imports of 0.6 million tonnes and purchase of 0.4 million tonnes from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (KAFCO) at international rates.
Yet the country might suffer scarcity of fertiliser in the next peak-harvesting season due to the closure of two state-owned fertiliser factories and procedural delay in releasing fund for imports. It is feared that such suspension of fertiliser production and delay in imports will create a supply crisis of the manure in the country. There is no denying that problems in the age-old machinery of the factories were responsible for the suspension of fertiliser production several times a year. Besides, such factories are unable to produce required amount of fertiliser due to depreciation of their machinery parts.
The authorities are blaming a section of dishonest businessman for creating artificial crisis of fertiliser. On the other hand, the dealers said that they did not get supply of the fertiliser in time. Supply-chain was being obstructed by traffic disruptions at various points. Poor navigability of rivers was a point while dense fog in the morning was another obstacle. In fact, most of the people and organisations linked with the fertiliser business blamed each other for scarcity of the same. Such a 'blame game' is not new in the country's polity. When a crisis occurs, unfortunately none is seen to come forward to solve it instantly. The crises linger, with a section of vested interests trying to cash on it while the government machinery apparently sits idle -- limiting its activities to holding a number of casual inter-ministerial meetings only.
Unfortunate but otherwise resilient farmers of the northern region, unable to procure fertiliser from the dealers at fair price, purchased it from black market at exorbitant prices. Barring a few programmes in front of the upazila agricultural officer's office, the farmers do not go beyond that. They buy fertiliser and diesel at high prices and go for plantation only to find later that they are not getting fair prices of their produces. They blame their own fate for the disaster and never go for hard action.
The government is considering import of non-urea chemical fertiliser to sell those at a subsidised rate to the farmers, stopping its import by the private sector. The alleged irregularities by the private importers of non-urea fertiliser regarding the subsidy have prompted the government to consider doing the import on its own. Earlier, the government introduced a 25 percent subsidy for imported fertiliser including TSP, MoP and DAP in the last fiscal year so that the farmers get them at a reasonable price. It was alleged that a section of importers are involved in over invoicing to get extra benefit in the form of subsidy. Besides, many are importing huge quantities to make more profit in subsidy. A consensus was reached that the government, which is already importing urea fertiliser, will import the non-urea chemical fertiliser too.
The government has set up a fertiliser depot at the city's outskirt -- Aminbazar. It is reported that smooth transportation of fertiliser from Aminbazar to northern districts is being disrupted at many points. If that is the case, why is the government not setting up more depots in the northern region? Baghabari, Syedpur, Bogra etc., might be the sites of such depots. It also needs to streamline its supply arrangement of fertiliser first. It has to be smooth and quick. The adequate supply to the grassroots level must be ensured. Farmers must get it ahead of their plantation. Side by side, irrigation activities need to be geared up to support the soil condition for farming.
Added to the persistent woes, supply of fuel oil is also being disrupted at various points. Farmers are also complaining about shortage of diesel and its high price. Diesel is also being smuggled out to the neighbouring countries. The government claimed that due to increased surveillance by the BDR, the RAB and the police force, smuggling of the diesel to India has fallen to a considerable extent. Since diesel price is high in India compared to Bangladesh, a section of black marketers tend to smuggle it to India for reaping high profits. Farmers are not interested to listen to whether there is a reduction in smuggling of diesel or not, they are only interested in getting steady supply of the same. The government must be agriculture-friendly, because it is the agriculture that dominates the country's economy. Survival of millions of people depends on this agriculture.
The farmers not only face shortage of fertiliser and diesel during the whole farming season, they have also to confront seed crisis, drought and excess rains very often. Nature makes them so vulnerable that they throw their own fate at its mercy. It is a never-ending process that moulds their life and reasons. Here science is just a mute spectator. Country's 80 per cent people live on agriculture. Without a through reform in agriculture, country's overcall economic improvement is highly an improbable proposition.
Industries Adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury denied any crisis of fertiliser in the country. She blamed media propaganda and 'some problems' in its distribution system for panicking the farmers into scramble for the agri-input. She said media were broadcasting reports on fertiliser crisis while growers showed their reluctance in standing in queue to get fertiliser. Not only the rice growers, fish and corn farmers as well were getting fertiliser allocations this season, which only proved that the government had adequate stocks of fertiliser to meet every requirement. She told the media that the government had decided to streamline the manure distribution countrywide, which included the decision of importing more fertiliser and building buffer stocks.
Regarding the irregularities in management of fertiliser distribution, the Industries Adviser said that punitive measures were being taken against those involved in such misdeeds. Some of the suspects have already been suspended. The government was taking a look at the distribution system to address the hurdles. The authorities were actively considering introducing a new system to be piloted at the field level. The 'improved' system would be introduced after the 'peak season' is over and the government was employing more people to strengthen the distribution system through the present season.