Short supply of fertilisers is affecting cultivation of Aman rice in northern region of the country creating uncertainty about achieving the production target this season, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials said.
Farmers in the 16 northern districts are facing problems due to inadequate supply of urea, triple super phosphate (TSP), di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and other chemical fertilisers.
The government target is to bring around 17.18 lakh hectares of land under Aman cultivation in the region this season for production of about 43.31 lakh tonnes of rice. Last season, Aman production target was around 42.7 lakh tonnes from 16.7 lakh hectares of land.
DAE Bogra office sources said of the 1.9 lakh hectares of Aman cultivable land in the district, a little over 1.7 lakh hectares will be brought under Aman cultivation this season to produce about 4.40 lakh tonnes of rice. Aman was cultivated on about 1.9 lakh hectares last season.
The sources said they had requested the ministry concerned to allocate 35,067 tonnes of urea and 18,942 tonnes of TSP along with other chemical fertilisers for Aman cultivation in the district this season. But it has allocated 26,952 tonnes of urea and 4,757 tonnes of TSP compared to more than 28,265 tonnes of urea and 5,172 tonnes of TSP last season.
Contacted, Bogra DAE Deputy Director Rustam Ali Mondal said Aman production is likely to be hampered in food surplus Bogra district this season if required quantity of fertiliser is not supplied in time.
In Joypurhat district, DAE office sources said the government has allocated 15,140 tonnes of urea and 2,882 tonnes of TSP and other fertilisers for Aman cultivation in about 73,000 hectares this season.
They had asked for allocation of 15,008 tonnes of urea and 8,243 tonnes of TSP along with other fertilisers.
DAE Deputy Director in Joypurhat Abul Hayet told this correspondent that they are trying to face the shortage of chemical fertilisers by applying compost fertiliser.
Lalmonirhut DAE office sources said the department’s target is cultivating Aman on 84,000 hectares, 895 hectares more than that last year.
The government has allocated 13,670 tonnes of urea and 910 tonnes of TSP along with other fertilisers for Aman cultivation in the district. Local DAE office had sought 15,846 tonnes of urea and 1,940 tonnes of TSP.
In Rajshahi, DAE Additional Director Abul Bashar said there is no substitute for TSP but in some cases compost fertiliser may be helpful in place of other fertilisers including urea.
“If required quantity of TSP is not supplied in the food surplus northern part of the country, crop production is likely to fall,” he said when contacted.
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