Although transportation, purchase and sales of agricultural produce and inputs have been kept out of the lockdown, the government decision is not being implemented at the field level. Despite government directives, there has been a stalemate in the marketing of agricultural goods due to barriers at the field level.
In particular, purchasing and selling of agricultural materials for crop cultivation has come to a standstill as local markets across the country remain shut due to police obstruction. As a result, there is a risk of severe disruption in crop production. It should be mentioned that the government has taken many steps to keep agricultural production in the country uninterrupted during the general holiday centering the Corona outbreak. At least four notifications have been issued by the Ministry of Public Administration and Agriculture over the purchase, sales and marketing of agricultural products and agricultural materials to keep agricultural production uninterrupted.
The Ministry of Agriculture has also published advertisements in various national dailies quoting the Agriculture Secretary. But local police officers are not paying any attention to them. Rather, they, in many cases, are seen very active keeping local hat-bazaars shut forcibly all over the country. As a result, farmers are suffering and facing difficulties like when they go to buy agricultural materials.
Similarly, the material manufacturing companies are not being able to reach their agricultural materials at the field level. Due to the shutdown of the hat-bazaars, farmers are not being able to sell their produce. As a result, the agricultural products are being wasted resulting in losses to the farmers. First, to increase food production in the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed to cultivate crops in every inch of land.
In order to comply with the Prime Minister's directive, the Agriculture Secretary directed the officials to follow the instructions at their respective workplaces. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also announced an incentive of Tk 5,000 crore for farmers to keep agricultural production uninterrupted during the Corona period. With this incentive of the Prime Minister, farmers will be able to cultivate crops in the field with a loan at 4 percent interest. Bangladesh Bank has already published guidelines in this regard.
Besides, the Directorate of Agricultural Extension on April 1 issued a notification to the officials to implement PM’s directives. The circular signed by Md. Abdul Moeed has asked to provide advice to the farmers about irrigation, fertilizer and pest management. The circular also has asked to make arrangements for cultivation of vegetables in the yard of each house and cultivation of two rows of ginger and turmeric in possible places, to motivate the farmer to cultivate vegetables in the pond and road side and to motivate the farmer to cultivate guava, lemon, papaya and other fruits in possible places in and around the house. With this, the officials have been specifically told to stay with the farmers.
There are vast allegations that the local administrations and police are not following those government instructions. Instead, they have made their own rules. They are obstructing transportation and marketing of all agricultural products and materials. Even the supply of rice and other agricultural products has been disrupted due to obstruction. After the bumper crop of Aush, Aman and Boro last year, this year also Aush and Aman have bumper crop. A bumper boro crop is still to be harvested. But due to the transport crisis, there has been an artificial crisis of rice. That is why the price of rice has gone up abnormally in the market all over the country. In particular, the price of coarse rice has gone up by upto Rs 10 per kg.
According to a survey conducted in 32 markets of 12 districts of the country, only 10 markets of these districts remain open from morning till 1:00 pm. Some of the markets, however, remain open until 2:00 p.m. But, 22 markets have been completely closed in the name of lockdown.
During the survey, all the markets in all the upazilas of Thakurgaon district were found to be completely closed in the name of lockdown. Far from selling agricultural products and agricultural inputs, the police are not allowing them to sell raw vegetables in these markets. The market conditions are very bad. Again, sellers of agricultural products and agricultural inputs are afraid to open shops in all the markets that are open. Farmers are not daring to go to the market despite the need for the same fear. As a result, helpless farmers have become frightened and have been confined at home instead of growing crops. Accordingly, the marketing system of agricultural products and agricultural inputs has collapsed.
Those affected districts are Nilphamari, Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Bogura, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Rajshahi. In this circumstance, different companies involving manufacturing of agricultural products and materials have drawn the attention of the local and central levels of government. Syngenta Bangladesh, the country's leading agribusiness company, which is jointly owned by Switzerland and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation, issued a letter to the Agriculture Secretary on April 14.
The letter praised the government's various measures to continue agricultural production, saying that despite being exempted from the general holiday, many agricultural material sellers are not being able to open their shops due to fear and farmers are not coming out despite the need. This is the time of BPH and blast attacks of Boro paddy. Boro production targets will be severely disrupted if the necessary measures are not taken to protect the crop at this time.
Besides, preparations for the upcoming Aus and Aman seasons and summer vegetable cultivation will also be disrupted. Therefore, in order to ensure the food security announced by the Prime Minister, it is necessary to motivate the farmers and the sellers of agricultural inputs from the state of panic and into normal work. There is a need for more publicity so that the vendors do not panic and the farmers keep the shops open and the farmers continue to produce the produce they need at the right time. They need to be encouraged with the help of the local administration so that the sellers of agricultural inputs can keep their shops open without fear and the farmers can also buy inputs and sell their produce without fear. Once this is ensured, it will be possible to increase our food production and ensure food security as directed by the Prime Minister.
When asked, AMM Golam Touhid, Managing Director of Syngenta Bangladesh, said, "There is still room for coordination and implementation at the field level in the decisions taken by the government on production, distribution and retail of agricultural inputs." He said, in the overall interest of agriculture, special attention should be paid to ensure that the farmers do not face any kind of obstruction at the field level and to provide necessary advice to the farmers and agricultural workers.
He said food production around the world is now in a fragile state due to the Corona situation. In this situation food production continues in our country. All parties should work in coordination so that it is not disrupted.