The ‘Mustard Ghost’ Haunting the Fertilizer Sector
IT is deeply concerning that, despite reports appearing in different media outlets for over a month regarding farmers’ inability to obtain fertilizer according to their needs during the Aman season, the issue remains unresolved.
Although the government claims there are adequate stocks, it has become impossible for farmers to procure fertilizer without paying exorbitant prices.
According to the reports, farmers have staged at least 15 separate protests across the country demanding fertilizer. In some areas, fertilizer warehouses were even looted by agitated farmers.
We are aware that, due to flash floods and a diesel crisis, the production target for Boro, the primary crop, has been lower than expected this year.
Additionally, heavy rainfall and floods in July damaged Aman seedbeds and seedlings across vast areas of Chattogram, Sylhet, and North Bengal, jeopardizing the achievement of Aman rice production targets.
The ongoing fertilizer crisis has further exacerbated these concerns.
It must be kept in mind that the lion’s share of rice is still produced by small and medium-scale farmers, who are vast in number.
Most of them have to secure capital by borrowing, often at exorbitant interest rates.
On the other hand, farmers rarely receive a fair price for their produce, including paddy.
The fertilizer crisis has emerged at a time when the country’s fuel crisis is steadily intensifying, and frequent power outages are making life miserable for the public.
Under these circumstances, any disruption to Aman rice production would not only destabilize rural communities but could also have repercussions in urban areas.
Allegedly, once the fertilizer arrives at the warehouse, a specific number of sacks must be handed over to a certain group and that sacks are subsequently sold on the open market at inflated prices.
Although the government speaks of taking various administrative and legal measures to address the ongoing fertilizer crisis, the reason the situation fails to improve lies in the influence wielded by these so-called powerful circles.
We would like to see that every stage of fertilizer distribution, whether under the old system or the new, remains under administrative control.
If the government is sincere, it can identify the weaknesses in the distribution system and prescribe solutions within a short period. We consider this to be a matter of urgency.
The blame game will not ensure that affordable fertilizer reaches farmers, nor will it benefit the nation.
It must also be kept in mind that the state subsidizes fertilizer in the national interest; yet, due to the lack of an efficient distribution system, those funds are failing to yield any effective results.
