No fertiliser crisis, says press note

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The attention of the government has been drawn to the reports carried by a section of the print and electronic media regarding production, stock and supply of fertiliser.
In this context, the government feels it necessary to make it clear to the people as regards exact stock and supply of fertiliser, according to a press note issued by the government yesterday.

The press note gave the following position about the stock and supply of fertiliser.

As per the estimate of the agriculture ministry the current year’s total requirement of urea is 28.75 lakh metric tons (MTS).

The requirement of urea has been estimated at 11.47 lakh metric tons from January to March 7, which is the peak season of Irri-Boro. Of the total, the requirement for he month of January is 3.79 lakh metric tons.

In the beginning of the month of January, the initial stock was 3.95 lakh metric tons. During the current month, six factories under BCIC are expected to produce 1.50 lakh metric tons of fertiliser. Until January 17, the production was 85 thousand and 462 metric tons, which is 57 percent of the production target.

Besides, Kafco production and import from abroad is 1.20 lakh metric tons, meaning the total availability of fertiliser during the month of January will be 6.65 lakh metric tons.

So the stock of fertiliser will be 2.85 lakh metric tons more than the requirement during the month of January. So there is no need for apprehension or fear about the matter.

Urea is supplied among the farmers as per requirement in regulated way through the administration so that it cannot be smuggled out of the country as it is sold at one-third of the price compared to the neighbouring countries.

The retail price of fertiliser is determined by district fertiliser monitoring committee headed by the deputy commissioner. Despite this, a section of retail traders in rural markets and middlemen sell fertiliser at higher prices as has been revealed by media reports. Necessary directives have been given to the deputy commissioners so that retail price of fertiliser remains within the price limit fixed by the government.

Deputy commissioners and members of the public have to remain alert so that the dealers cannot make illegal stock of fertiliser, smuggle it out and create artificial scarcity through black marketers.

A total of four lakh metric tons of fertiliser will be procured from Kafco and steps have been taken for import of 6.25 lakh metric tons in phases for the remaining few months, including February and March, to meet the requirement of fertiliser.

The government hopes that it would be possible to meet the country’s entire requirement of fertiliser through imported fertiliser and the fertiliser produced in the BCIC factories. The government feels that there is adequate stock of fertiliser as per the country’s requirement.

But due to political crisis during the past few days, including Eid-ul-Azha, import and transportation of fertiliser in remote areas were partially disrupted. This might have created opportunity for retail traders and black marketers to create confusion among the farmers.

There has been tremendous improvement of the transportation system after taking over by the new caretaker government. The law enforcement agencies, including the army, have launched drives against hoarders of fertiliser and black marketers

Besides, the monitoring cells at home, industry and agriculture ministries have been regularly monitoring and taking prompt steps so that fertiliser cannot be smuggled out of the country and no artificial scarcity is created. The government hopes that with the issuance of the press note, all confusions among the people relating to fertiliser would be removed.

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