A SHORTAGE of urea fertilisers, as the situation on the ground and people involved in the sector suggest, looms large, which may harm the production of aman rice, the second largest rice crop after boro, which is planted in July–August and harvested in November–December. All this may happen because of disruption in urea production. The import of fertiliser remains stalled amidst the US-Israel war on Iran, which has choked the Strait of Hormuz. It is reported that fertiliser supply has been strained as about 30–35 per cent of global shipments pass through the strait, which was closed when the war broke out on February 28. The local production of fertiliser, especially urea, is also suspened at five state-owned urea factories — Ghorashal Polash Urea Fertiliser Plc, which is the largest, Shahjalal Fertiliser Co Ltd, Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd, Jamuna Fertiliser Co Ltd and Ashuganj Fertiliser and Chemical Co Ltd — and the only privately-owned multinational joint venture Karnaphuli Fertiliser Co Ltd because of gas shortage. The government has a production target of 18.1 million tonnes of aman rice this season. Agriculture ministry officials say that the stock of fertiliser is sufficient until June.
The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation, however, warns that a serious urea shortage could surface in July–September, considered the minor peak season for aman farming. The situation having been so, the agriculture minister on March 31 said that fertiliser dealers were supplied with 2.6 million tonnes of urea, about a million tonnes of triple superphosphate, about 1.68 million tonnes of diammonium phosphate and 1.05 million tonnes of muriate of potash. Yet, farmers, especially in the north, complain that they need to buy fertilisers on the open market for higher prices. A farmer that New Age spoke to says that he has to do this as dealers supply farmers with only one 50-kilogram sack of urea a month, which is far below the requirement. Farmers, as he says, buy a sack of urea for Tk 1,500, whilst the set price is Tk 1,350. Triple superphosphate and diammonium phosphate are sold for Tk 1,700 a sack whilst the set prices are Tk 1,350 and Tk 1,050. They buy muriate of potash for Tk 1,350 whilst the set price is Tk 1,000. A dealer puts the situation down to limited government allocation, especially of non-urea fertilisers. Chemical Industries Corporation officials say that the current stock of urea is about 344,000 tonnes, which is below the safe reserve of 400,000 tonnes.
The government still has time to tie the loose ends, more specifically in the import of fertilisers, urea or non-urea, from alternative sources. The government urgently needs to move diplomatic channels to find alternative fertiliser sources because a smooth fertiliser supply is essential for food security.
