Farmers in Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali are facing difficulties securing fertiliser at government-fixed prices, with several growers alleging that retailers are charging Tk 200 to Tk 250 more per sack amid increased demand during the Aman cultivation season.
Shahjahan Khan, 52, of Keshabpur village in Keshabpur union, prepared three acres of land for Aman cultivation. He went to Messrs Tapan Traders, an authorised fertiliser dealer at Kalishuri Bazar, last Saturday to purchase fertiliser. He said he was unable to obtain fertiliser from the dealer and was subsequently forced to buy one sack each of triple superphosphate (TSP) and urea from a retailer for Tk 3,100.
According to the government-fixed prices, a 50-kilogramme sack of urea costs Tk 1,350, while the same quantity of TSP is priced at Tk 1,350. Shahjahan therefore paid Tk 400 more for the two sacks than the official price.
Several other farmers in the area reported similar experiences. They alleged that fertiliser was not readily available at dealer outlets at the official price, while retailers were selling it at inflated rates. Farmers said they often had little choice but to pay the additional amount because fertiliser is essential at particular stages of rice cultivation.
Gokul Biswas, a sharecropper from Botkajol in Naomala union, has cultivated Aman rice on three acres. He said he also failed to obtain fertiliser from the main dealer and eventually purchased one sack each of TSP and urea for Tk 3,100.
Farmers Juran Hawladar of the same area and Jasim Uddin of Alipura in Bauphal Sadar union made similar allegations. Emran Dhali of Dashpara said retailers often claim that fertiliser is unavailable when demand is high, but supplies become available when customers agree to pay more.
The government has fixed the retail price of a 50-kilogramme sack of urea at Tk 1,350. The official price of TSP is also Tk 1,350, while DAP is Tk 1,050 and muriate of potash is Tk 1,000. Bauphal has 15 government-approved fertiliser dealers and 105 sub-dealers, all of whom are expected to sell fertiliser at the prescribed prices.
Farmers, however, said the prices they are currently paying are considerably higher. Urea is reportedly being sold for Tk 1,600 to Tk 1,700 per sack. TSP is selling for around Tk 1,700 to Tk 1,750, while DAP is reportedly available for no less than Tk 1,150.
Jabbar Padda of Dhulia village said the main dealer in his union told him that fertiliser had been distributed among retail outlets. Retailers, in turn, claimed that supplies were limited and that transportation costs had increased, forcing them to charge higher prices.
The dealers have denied responsibility for the alleged overcharging. Tapan Kumar, proprietor of Messrs Tapan Traders at Kalishuri Bazar, said he sells fertiliser to farmers and retailers at the government-fixed price. If retailers subsequently charge more, he said, there is little he can do.
Atiqur Rahman Mamun, proprietor of Messrs Biswas Enterprise and a dealer in Naomala union, also said farmers should raise the issue with retailers if they believe they have been overcharged.
Some sub-dealers, however, acknowledged charging slightly more than the official price. They said they incur transportation expenses after purchasing fertiliser from dealers and generally retain around Tk 50 profit per sack.
Joydeb Debnath, proprietor of Chitto Master Store at Kalaia Bazar and a union-level dealer, said his outlet sells fertiliser at Tk 1,350 per sack. He questioned how dealers could control the price once fertiliser was taken away and resold by retailers.
Masud Rana, president of the Bauphal upazila branch of the Bangladesh Fertiliser Association, said dealers sell fertiliser at the government-fixed price. He acknowledged that some retailers in villages and remote areas might be charging more, but said dealers had no control over their resale prices.
The pressure on fertiliser supplies comes at a crucial time for farmers. According to the upazila agriculture office, the target for Aman cultivation this season has been set at 34,800 hectares, while the target for Aus cultivation is 2,806 hectares. In July, the 15 dealers in the upazila were allocated 295 tonnes of urea. Their allocation for August stands at 770 tonnes.
The shortage is particularly significant in the riverine areas of Bauphal, where Aman cultivation is widespread and demand for urea and TSP rises during the crop-growing season. For farmers already facing the costs of land preparation, seedlings, labour and other agricultural inputs, paying several hundred taka more for each sack of fertiliser can add considerably to their production expenses.
Shahriar Rizvi Limon, an upazila agriculture extension officer, said his office had not received any formal complaints about fertiliser being sold above the government-fixed price. He said action would be taken against any dealer found selling fertiliser at excessive prices if a complaint is received and the allegation is established.
