In the river-nourished, fertile district of Tangail, the Boro season is now at its peak. Encouraged by favourable weather and strong market prices in recent years, farmers have enthusiastically taken to the fields to grow Rabi crops. However, this momentum has been overshadowed by a serious fertiliser shortage and soaring prices, causing growing concern among cultivators.
Sources from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) report that Tangail’s Boro rice cultivation goal for the 2025–26 season is 176,145 hectares. So far, farmers have already planted Boro rice on 38,172 hectares. There is a buzz of activity as rice planting continues in certain areas. Alongside this, wheat has been grown on 4,580 hectares, mustard on 80,850 hectares, maize on 8,750 hectares, and chilli on 1,023 hectares. Moreover, the cultivation of onions, garlic, lentils, black cumin, mung beans, chickpeas, sugarcane, and thousands of hectares of vegetables has surpassed the established targets.
Ripon Mia, a farmer from Kalihati Upazila of the district, said, “What’s the point of farming rice on this land anymore? When all the profit ends up being spent on fertiliser, it really breaks my heart. Talking about fertiliser feels useless; first, it’s hardly available, and even if you do find it, the prices are going through the roof. After paying for labour, fertiliser, and pesticides, we farmers are left with nothing at all.
Shofiar Rahman, a farmer from the Tepibari area of Bhuapur, said, “Fertiliser is not available for any type of cultivation. I can only manage to get about half of what I need, which reduces production. This time as well, there is no fertiliser at all. I can’t find it anywhere. Even if I somehow get a little, it costs 300 to 400 taka more per bag. If this situation continues, farming will eventually come to a halt.”
Meanwhile, fertiliser dealers say they cannot fulfil farmers’ needs because the allocated supply is too limited. At the same time, rising fertiliser, diesel, and electricity prices have significantly increased production costs for marginal farmers. However, the Department of Agriculture maintains that Tangail has received sufficient allocations to achieve its cultivation targets.
Ramzan Ali, the Additional Deputy Director (Crops) of the Tangail District Agricultural Extension Department, said, “There is sufficient fertiliser available for the current season. We have not been informed of any shortages and have not received any complaints. Sometimes, the problems arise when farmers purchase large quantities of fertiliser at once for multiple crops, since allocations are provided every month. However, there is no fertiliser crisis at present.”
