6,000 tonnes of urea under open sky for 3 months

Around 6,000 tonnes of urea have been left under the open sky for the last three months due to shortage of space in Joypurhat warehouse.

Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA) and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) in the district are struggling to protect the fertilisers from damage caused by sunlight and rainwater.

During a recent visit to the warehouse, this correspondent saw a huge pile of 1.2 lakh bags containing 6,000 tonnes of urea at the BFA complex covered with polythene.

The 2,000 tonne warehouse was built before the Liberation War in 1971. No warehouse has been built since then, though the demand for urea has gone up many times, officials said.

The distrrict's BFA officials said they got allotment of 10,000 tonnes of urea for the aman season, of which 4,000 tonnes have been crammed in the existing warehouse, and the rest 6,000 tonnes have been left under the open sky for the last three months.

Farmers said if urea is kept in the open, it loses quality and weight. "We will not get the optimum result if the urea is exposed to sunlight and rainwater," said Sobhan Ali, a farmer of Atapara village under Panchbibi upazila of Joypurhat.

"If you purchase a 50 kg bag of urea, you will get at least two kg less," he added.

Officials of BFA, BCIC and Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Joypurhat rejected the allegation.

Mizanur Rahman, warehouse-in-charge of Joypurhat BFA warehouse, said they covered the  urea with polythene to ensure proper quality and weight.

According to DAE officials of Joypurhat, 580mm of rainfall was recorded since July 9, and it is quite difficult to protect such a huge pile from the rain.

Workers stack fertiliser on the warehouse premises to save it from rain and sun. PHOTO: STAR

Abdul Alim a farmer of Belgari village under Kethlal upazila, said when he opened a bag of urea he saw that its colour had changed due to rainwater and sunlight. If the colour changes then it loses its effectiveness, he added.

Moshiul Alam Mollah, general secretary of Joypurhat BFA, admitted that quality and weight are lost if urea is kept in the open. The Joypurhat BFA committee requested the authorities concerned several times to build a new warehouse, but have not received any response, he added.

Taherul Islam, deputy director (acting) of DAE in Joypurhat, said they are trying to distribute the exposed urea as soon as possible. A warehouse needs to be built urgently, he added.