Agriculture Secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian has categorically said there is no fertiliser crisis in the country.
"We have sufficient fertiliser stock until December, and there will be no crisis this season," he said while visiting agricultural fields and irrigation activities in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts on Thursday.
He said there is an urgent need to create awareness among grassroots farmers, as the yield of various crops, particularly wheat, potato, pulses, mustard, and vegetables, can be increased by 15 to 40 per cent through judicious use of fertiliser.
The Agriculture Secretary said they have launched a farming application, 'Khamari App,' to help farmers reduce fertiliser costs and increase yields.
He stated that it provides valuable information about crop types, required fertiliser, and seed quantities for specific plots of land.
The app could save farmers around Tk 1,000 per bigha in fertiliser costs for paddy, while raising yields by about one maund (40 kg) per bigha.
He also visited the Laldighi area under Godagari Upazila, where fertiliser guidelines are being implemented on 206 bighas of land through the Khamari App, and shared views with the farmers.
During the daylong visit, Agriculture Secretary Emdad Ullah said massive developments were attained in the region with the support of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA). In the past, only a single crop had been cultivated, but now three crops are produced annually, which is a significant progress.
BMDA Executive Director Tariqul Alam, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Saiful Alam, Additional Director Dr Azizur Rahman, and BMDA Additional Chief Engineers Shamsul Huda, Dr. Abul Kashem, and Superintending Engineers Mahuzur Rahman, Nazirul Islam, Shibir Ahmed, and other concerned officials were present on the occasion.
Agriculture Secretary Dr Emdad Mian stressed the need for promoting less irrigation-consuming cereal crops instead of depending only on irri-boro farming in the Barind area, saying that the promotion of less water-consuming crops could be an effective means of mitigating the water crisis in the region.
Surface water irrigation appeared to be a useful tool to mitigate the gradually mounting pressure on underground water in the drought-prone Barind area, which has scores of natural water bodies that currently remain uncared for and in a derelict condition.
The contributions of the BMDA to the Rajshahi Barind region have been multifaceted, leading to significant advancements in agricultural productivity, water resource management, and overall socio-economic development.
It has significantly contributed to socio-economic development in 135 upazilas under all 16 districts in the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions through various initiatives, primarily focusing on agricultural development and water resource management.
