Gaibandha char farmers cannot get fertiliser in peak maize season

Farmers in Gaibandha's char areas cannot get fertiliser in the peak maize cultivation season. Dealers and retailers do not have fertiliser according to demand. They have therefore demanded that fertiliser be sold in the open market.

The agriculture department has set a target of maize cultivation on 18,000 hectares of land in 165 large and small chars in the district, about 1,000 hectares more than in the last few years.

But a shortage of fertiliser has appeared at the start of this year's maize season. Farmers are not getting fertiliser from dealers according to demand. The agriculture department appointed sub-dealers in each char to get fertiliser quickly to char farmers. Still farmers are not getting fertiliser as required.

A recent visit to the char areas found farmers preparing land for maize in some places and planting in others. Many have prepared land and are waiting for fertiliser. In some fields farmers planted maize as soon as floodwater receded.

Farmers said what little fertiliser they get is far less than demand. They also have to spend an extra three to four hundred taka in time and fare to collect fertiliser from dealer points from the char areas.

Farmer Al Amin of Ujoldanga village in Fulchhari upazila said they are not getting urea fertiliser in the peak maize season. Dealers give only a small amount. They have to buy fertiliser from elsewhere at 400-500 taka more per sack and apply it to the land.

Farmer Sabuj Mia of Guptamanir Char said, 'I am planting maize in the field. With this fertiliser crisis, we cannot say what will happen this time.' He demanded fertiliser sales in the open market besides dealers.

Another farmer, Samad Mia, said, 'If we go to the dealer for fertiliser, they say go to the BAS. Again the BAS says go to the agriculture officer. In this way we maize farmers are being harassed for fertiliser.'

Farmer Abul Hasnat of Erendabari said, 'I am cultivating maize on 35 bighas of land. After watering and weeding, fertiliser must be applied. I am not getting that fertiliser. The dealer gave two sacks. Nothing can be done with this small amount.'

Farmer Aizar Ali of Lal Chamar Char in Sundarganj said, 'Adequate urea fertiliser is needed for maize cultivation. We are not getting it as required. How will we cultivate without fertiliser? And our households run on this cultivation.'

Fertiliser dealer Md Mizanur Rahman of Puratan Fulchhari said, 'I sell to farmers the amount of fertiliser I receive as monthly government allocation. After the fertiliser runs out, it is not possible to give even if asked. And this problem is happening because everyone needs fertiliser at the same time.'

Acting deputy director of the district Department of Agricultural Extension Md Asaduzzaman said maize cultivation in the char areas starts in November every year, this year farmers started planting in early October because of early floods and farmers have become busy collecting several times more fertiliser in advance. But he said there is adequate fertiliser stock in warehouses.