Farmers queue from dawn for fertiliser in Natore's Naldanga, anger over short supply

Farmers in Naldanga upazila of Natore are facing long waits, hardship and growing anger over fertiliser. Many are returning empty-handed after standing in line for hours without getting the amount they need, affected farmers have alleged.

On Wednesday morning, tension flared at Madhabnagar Bazar in the upazila over allegations of irregularities in fertiliser distribution and mismanagement of the token system. The administration later deployed police to the spot to bring the situation under control.

Local farmers said demand for various fertilisers has risen with land preparation and cultivation ahead of the Boro and Rabi seasons. But with dealers' shops not holding enough stock, many cannot collect the fertiliser they need even after queuing from dawn. They said farm work is being disrupted while their time and labour are wasted.

The farmers alleged that many do not receive the fixed quantity even after collecting a token. Some people take fertiliser ahead of the queue without following the rules, and some allegedly carry away vanloads of fertiliser without farming at all. As a result, genuine farmers are being deprived, they said.

In this situation, the affected farmers demanded transparency in distribution, supply of fertiliser after verifying a farmer's identity and land size, and regular administrative monitoring of dealers' shops.

As the situation heated up, Naldanga police reached the spot and brought it under control. Police members stayed there to prevent any untoward incident and keep the distribution running normally.

Upazila agriculture officer Sabuj Ali, however, said there is no fertiliser crisis in the upazila. He said monitoring has been strengthened so that no artificial crisis is created and dealers distribute fertiliser among farmers in an orderly way.

He advised farmers not to panic and to be patient, adding that adequate fertiliser will be supplied to every area in phases.

Shammi Akter, president of the Naldanga upazila fertiliser and seed monitoring committee and the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), said: 'There is no fertiliser crisis in the upazila. Arrangements have been made so that genuine farmers get enough fertiliser. The distribution is being monitored regularly.'