Farmers worried as urea dealers continue agitation
The farmers of Nilphamari, a major boro producing district, are in great worry as fertiliser dealers in the district have continued their agitation programme for the second day yesterday, postponing fertiliser drawing from the buffer stock at Parbotipur in Dinajpur district.
The district unit of Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA) called the agitation programme for an indefinite period from Monday afternoon to realise their five-point demand.
The demand includes setting up a buffer stock in Nilphamari, stopping supply of low quality fertiliser to the dealers of the district from the buffer stock, allowing them to take delivery of 40% of urea of locally made Jamuna variety from the factory gate under district's quota, giving them 60% urea of granula variety from buffer stock and end to harassment while drawing fertiliser from buffer stock.
Abdul Wahed Sarker, president of the district unit of Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA), alleged that recently the authority concerned has imported low quality urea (nitrogenated fertiliser) from China.
"The buffer stock authorities compel us to receive that fertiliser although farmers are reluctant to use it. As a result we have to incur losses. Besides, drawing fertiliser from the buffer stock at Parbotipur causes us wastage of time as we have to wait for a long time there for the purpose," he said.
As the buffer stock at Parbotipur is in Dinajpur district, fertiliser dealers from the district get priority whenever they come to take delivery and this causes delay in delivery to the dealers from Nilphamari, said the dealers.
BFA sources in Nilphamari said earlier they had made a complaint to the concern authority of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) with an ultimatum to meet their five-point demand by March 7.
As time expired without solution to their problem, all the 73 fertiliser dealers of the district stopped withdrawing fertiliser from the buffer stock for indefinite period from Monday afternoon.
"We will continue our agitation programme until the demand is met," said Abdul Wahed Sarker.
When the farmers are busy planting boro seedlings in the ongoing boro season, the protest programme taken by the fertiliser dealers may cause setback in boro cultivation, said local farmers.
Many anxious farmers were seen crowding at the fertiliser shops of the dealers and retailers in different markets of the district yesterday as they are eager to purchase fertiliser in advance, fearing crisis in near future.
The district unit president of BFA, however, said there is nothing to be worried as they have a good stock of urea of 3500 tonnes in hands. In the present boro season, the government has allocated 59 thousand tonnes of urea. The quota for the month of February, which is 7.5 thousand tonnes, is yet to be withdrawn fully.
Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner (DC) Farhad Alam has talked to the BCIC authorities in this connection and proper steps has been taken to solve the problem very soon, he said.
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