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Fertiliser crisis
12/25/2005
PERHAPS the BNP and fertiliser crisis goes together. It was widely publicised that in 1991 eighteen farmers were killed in connection with fertiliser crisis. Repetition of similar events has occurred this time, too. At a time when demand for fertiliser is showing an upward trend, the country is reportedly facing a severe fertiliser crisis in this peak season due to delay in import and problems relating to payment of arrear fertiliser subsidy bill. This will certainly affect the overall agriculture output.
Newspapers say that import of the required quantity of fertiliser could not be made as per schedule as the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) was yet to receive its outstanding 'trade gap' compensation money from the Finance Ministry.
Earlier, the government decided to import two hundred thousand metric tonnes of fertiliser and one hundred thousand tonnes of wheat to meet domestic demand. In the wake of such a crisis, dealers are not getting supply of fertiliser. This has resulted in high prices of fertiliser for the farmers.
The nation's economy is basically dependent on agriculture and any poverty reduction programme must go with increased agricultural production.
The government should take up a national agricultural input management plan and create a monitoring mechanism to ensure proper pricing and distribution of the vital inputs such as seeds and fertilisers. The finalisation and operationalisation of a comprehensive agricultural inputs procurement and distribution should brook no further delay.
Moshfiqa Aziz
Moghbazar, Dhaka
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