Bangladesh faces a fertilizer crisis marked by supply shortages. The crisis stems from a combination of factors, including gas shortages halting local production, inadequate imports due to foreign exchange constraints, and deliberate artificial scarcity created by syndicates and corrupt dealers who sell at inflated prices.
According to continuous reports of the crisis coming from the field level in various districts of the country, the question arises whether this is a mere isolated incident or a harbinger of a larger problem.
This is not only a matter of concern for the agriculture-dependent Bangladesh; it is also casting a deep shadow on food security, the agricultural economy, and the national stability.
Because, not getting fertilizer during the planting season not only means disruption to production; it also hits a fundamental economic cycle.
Mentionable, fertilizer is such an element that even its superabundance will not help a farmer if the tilling time passes by. So, the first direct impact of the crisis will be on crop production.
Whether it is rice, vegetables, pulses or oilseeds – the fear of a decline in production is realistic in every sector.
Since the country’s demand for food grains is fixed, a decrease in food supply is bound to have a severe impact on the market.
If food prices increase, it will hit the lower middle class and daily wage earners the most.
Although explanations such as fertilizer supply shortages, factory closures, or import problems are given, they do not match the experiences of farmers on the ground.
Rather, the question arises – is this character of the crisis simply the result of administrative failure, or part of a well-planned sabotage? History shows that crises are sometimes created.
Manipulation by distributors-dealers, or hoarding by some groups can be strategies to deliberately create shortages in the market.
Thus, strong policy and administrative decisions are needed now to address the crisis. A complete audit of the fertilizer distribution system is needed.
In this regard, it is important to review the role of dealers, distributors, and field-level government officials. A zero tolerance campaign against hoarding and manipulation is needed.
As part of this, those involved in creating the crisis must be identified and brought to justice. Besides, local production capacity must be restored.
For this, it is essential to quickly reopen closed factories and rebuild collapsed production infrastructure.
Above all, what is needed most to resolve the crisis is the government’s goodwill, strict supervision, and transparent management.
It is important to remember that effective steps must be taken before the crisis deepens.
