Fertilizers

When Govt is trying to reduce the price of fertilizers , stockpiling is going on .

About 3.46 lakh sacks of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) and Murate of Potash (MoP) fertiliser kept in Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) godown in Bogra cannot be distributed to the dealers due to lack of allocation from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Private importers are creating pressure on the ministry officials not to allocate BADC authorities to supply fertiliser from the godown, said several BADC officials.

The dealers would get the government subsidy money when the fertiliser imported by private importers reaches the dealers, said a high official of BADC.

Agriculture ministry Deputy Secretary Mosharraf Hossain who deals with fertiliser marketing, told The Daily Star correspondent over telephone that following a fax message sent by Bogra Deputy Commissioner (DC) Humayun Kabir on Tuesday, high officials in the agriculture ministry have been informed about the matter of undistributed fertiliser in godown.

BADC Chairman Abdur Razzak told this correspondent over cell phone that the allocation necessary from the ministry to distribute imported high quality TSP and MoP fertiliser to the dealers was given only once last year against the demand for July to November. After that no allocation was made.

Joint Director (fertilizer) Md Abdullah Kafi said the 6,000 metric ton capacity government godown at Santhahar, from where supplied to Bogra, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts, had a stock of 3,46,209 sacks of TSP and MoP till yesterday.

Fertiliser from Santhahar godown is supplied to Bogra, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts, he said.

Fertiliser from the godown is also sent to different areas in the northern region if there is requirement, Abdullah Kafi said.

However, fertiliser could not be supplied after November as no allocation was available.