The officials of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah have been monitoring the chemical fertilizer selling activities to save the farmers from the evil slap of the fertilizer traders when they were allegedly creating artificial crisis of the same in recent days. It has been helping reduce the excess price-hike and compel the sellers to sale the same at government fixed prices among the farmers.
Farmer Abul Hossain and Nanigopal Biswas of Madhupur area under Porahati union of Jhenaidah Sadar upazila were purchasing the dye ammonium phosphate (DAP) from the local dealer said they had been suffering a lot as there was an artificial crisis of urea, DAP and muriate of potash (MoP). Right the DAE officials have been ensuring them for sufficient quantity of chemical fertilizer at fair prices. The officials have been advising them to receive the fertilizer gradually when it was needed for the farming.
A number of farmers at Hatgopalpur Bazer under Dogachhi union in same upazila said some of the dealers involved with Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) and its sub dealers and Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) dealers were realizing additional money from them in the name of crisis of the same during the transplanting Aman (TAman) season. To curb the evil business of the dealers, the DSAE officials have been ensuring the chemical fertilizers among the farmers at fixed prices.
Upazila agriculture officer (UAO) Jahedul Karim when contacted said a section of the dishonest fertilizer dealers including BCIC and BADC were creating artificial crisis of the same to cheat the innocent farmers during the farming hours. Some of them were also hoarding the fertilizers at their stores without informing the same to the DAE officials and local administration. They had been distributing the fertilizer among the farmers at fair prices.
They have been also seizing the illegally hording of the fertilizers, especially, urea, DAP and MoP and distributing the same among the local dealers. It was a lesson for the dishonest dealers and benefit the farmers.
The field level DAE officials were also advised to supervise and monitor the fertilizer storage and selling activities themselves for proper maintenance of the same round the clock, UAO said.
Jahedul Karim said the demand for urea was 6,990 tones, triple super phosphate (TSP) fpor 2,299 tones and DAP for 2,968 tones in the season. They are going to receive additional 2,000 tones of urea within a short time which will benefit the farmers a lot and ensure optimum yield of the T Aman in the season.