THE fuel crisis that has loomed large owing to the US-Israel war on Iran and subsequent disruption in the passage of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz appears to have caused concern for rice farming. Farmers in several districts keep, as New Age reported on March 12, struggling to get diesel for the irrigation of boro rice. The Department of Agricultural Extension brushes aside any chance of disruption in boro irrigation as long as the national reserve is not destabilised. A ranking Department of Agricultural Extension official says that field officials have not so far reported any problems in boro irrigation because of diesel shortage, noting that farmers have already planted boro seedlings on about 97 per cent of the targeted 5.05 million hectares in the 2026 financial year. Despite official assurances, farmers in several districts say that they are struggling to get diesel for irrigation. Reports from the south-west say that farmers have faced disruption for a few days as filling stations and retailers have restricted diesel sales, coming down to two litres a farmer a day against the earlier 10 litres that could be bought from a filling station. Reports from the north come up with a similar situation.
Farmers in the north say that they need to pay higher prices for diesel. Whilst a farmer can buy five litres of diesel a day, some retailers charge them an additional Tk 5–10 a litre against the government’s selling price of Tk 100 a litre. About 30–35 per cent of the boro farmland of the targeted half a million hectares in the Rangpur region is said to be dependent on shallow irrigation pumps. Retailers are reported to be charging farmers an additional Tk 5–10 a litre. The situation is further concerning in the Rajshahi region, where diesel is retailed to farmers for Tk 115–120 a litre. All this happens despite there being no major reasons to worry about diesel stock. Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation officials say that the current stock of 300,000 tonnes, which would roughly last for a month, is improving, with the release of about 180,000 tonnes having begun at the Chattogram port on March 10. The proposition suggests that the diesel shortage that is hampering irrigation at the local level is artificial. The minister for agriculture, however, says that the government is working to attend to the problem. Experts believe that the government should prioritise diesel supply to farmers.
The government should, in such a situation, strengthen oversight to stop retailers from cashing in on the situation to make windfall profits. The government should also act to stop any misuse or abuse of the rationing of fuel oil that it decided a few days ago to tackle the probable energy crisis.
