Boro cultivation in many districts is facing disruption as farmers struggle to collect diesel for irrigation following restrictions on fuel sales and confusion over instructions from the local administration.
Farmers say filling stations have stopped selling diesel in jerrycans and drums due to unclear directives from the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and monitoring by the district administration.
As a result, irrigation pumps and shallow engines used in both agriculture and river transport are facing fuel shortages during the peak irrigation season.
Boro is the largest rice-growing season, accounting for about 55 per cent of the country's staple supply.
Nearly 90 per cent of Boro cultivation depends on commercial irrigation, where water is largely extracted from underground sources.
The country has set a target to produce 22.7 million tonnes of rice from the Boro season in the current financial year, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The agency said the target was to bring 5.05 million hectares of land under Boro cultivation, of which about 90 per cent had been achieved until last week.
Meanwhile, BPC recently set limits on fuel supply from filling stations to maintain discipline in distribution.
According to the directive, motorcycles can purchase up to two litres of petrol or octane, while cars can take up to 10 litres.
Cars, Jeep vehicles, and microbuses are allowed 20-25 litres per trip, minibuses and local buses 70-80 litres of diesel, and long-distance buses, trucks, and container vehicles 100-120 litres.
However, the directive does not clearly mention diesel supply for agricultural irrigation pumps or shallow engines used in boats.
As a result, many filling stations at the district level have suspended the sales of diesel in containers, which farmers normally carry to their fields.
Farmers in several areas say they were turned away from fuel stations despite urgent irrigation needs.
Atiful Islam, a farmer from Ramnagar union in Nilphamari district, says he could not collect diesel to run his irrigation pump.
"I went to the filling station with a jerrycan to buy diesel in the morning, but they refused to sell it. How will we irrigate our fields now? We cannot carry the irrigation machine to the fuel station," he says.
Another farmer, Rafiqul Alam from Mithapukur in Rangpur, says he was worried about his standing crops.
"Where will we get diesel now? Without fuel, we cannot pump water. It is the dry season. If we cannot irrigate the paddy fields now, the crops will fail," he says.
Local sources say the situation is similar across Rangpur, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, and Bogura regions, where farmers rely heavily on diesel-run shallow pumps due to irregular electricity supply in villages.
In addition to agriculture, concerns are also growing over river transport in areas with extensive waterways where shallow engines are widely used.
Petrol Pump Owners Association President Sajjad Karim Kabul says the problem arose due to the absence of clear instructions regarding container sales.
"Fuel supply by filling stations at the district level is normal. But the BPC directive does not clearly allow selling diesel in loose form (in jerrycans or drums). Because of this, many stations have stopped sales. Farmers are returning without fuel," he says.
DAE officials say irrigation is critical at this stage of the Boro season.
Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy director of the DAE in Kurigram, says keeping the roots of paddy seedlings wet is essential during this period.
"Irrigation is a top priority for the government. We are communicating with local administration and the higher authorities to resolve the temporary problem in fuel supply," he says.
Agricultural economist Dr AHM Saiful Islam says January to March is a crucial period for Boro cultivation as the crop is fully irrigation-dependent.
He notes that out of the country's annual diesel demand of about 5.0 million tonnes, around 35-40 per cent is consumed during the January-March period.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
