Bangladesh News

The government is failing to supply the adequate amount of fertilisers to 16 northern districts for Aman cultivation.

Price hike of fertilisers is also not helping farmers of the region in getting out of this situation which threatens the achievement of Aman production target.

According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials in a number of northern districts, the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC) recommended that 109kg of urea fertiliser, 89kg triple super phosphate (TSP), and 33kg muriate of potash (MoP) be used per hectare of land. The government failed to supply the required quantity of fertilisers, they said.

The officials said inadequate use of fertilisers may hamper Aman production with a recurring effect on subsequent crops like Boro. The DAE planned to cultivate Aman on 17,18,312 hectare of land in 16 northern districts to achieve 43,30,446 tonnes of rice production this season.

DAE officials in Bogra said at least 1,69,10,000kg of TSP is needed to cultivate Aman on 1,90,000 hectares of land and achieve the 4,99,500-tonne Aman production target in Bogra district this season. More than 6,27,000kg of MoP is also needed considering the soil condition in Bogra.

DAE Kahaloo upazila office sources said to cultivate Aman on 1,95,000 hectares of land around 25,93,500 kg of TSP and 12,28,500kg of MoP fertiliser is needed but the government has supplied only 4,00,000kg TSP and 2,00,000kg MoP.

The government has also increased TSP prices to Tk 68 a kg from Tk 34, MoP to Tk 45 a kg from Tk 30 and urea to Tk 11.70 a kg from Tk 6.00 per kg.

DAE officials said TSP must be applied before plantation in order to achieve the production target in Bogra.

Farmer Dulal, 55, of Shabgram in Bogra Sadar said he failed to purchase TSP and MoP for his Aman due to high prices.

Akalu, 45, of the same village said he cultivated Aman on 0.8 hectare of land using only 10kg TSP and 10kg MoP when his actual requirement was 71.2kg TSP and 26.40kg MoP.

Abdul Mazid, 40, of Ullatta in Kahaloo upazila said he planted Aman on his 0.5 hectare of land without using TSP. “I used 25kg urea instead of the required 75kg,” he said.