The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Rajshahi

Short supply of urea and paucity of other necessary fertilizers may affect cultivation of the high-quality Taherpuri variety of crops like potatoes, onions, mustard and wheat in areas around Taherpur river-port wholesale market. Moreover, many farmers who are preparing for boro paddy farming also said they got in trouble for scanty supply of fertilizers. This is the prime time of the season for cultivating the spices and other crops mentioned above, they said adding that it requires DAP, TSP and Potash fertilizers besides urea.

These crops are grown in huge quantities particularly in Durgapur and Bagmara upazilas and parts of Puthia and Naldanga upazilas surrounding Taherpur bazaar, now a municipal market, where traders from across the country gather on two hat days-Friday and Monday. Farmers of Durgapur and Bagmara upazilas are facing acute fertilizer crisis in cultivating rabi crops, including potatoes, onions, pulses and wheat, as supply of fertilizer is quite insufficient. Even the growers have to buy different types of fertilizers at exorbitant prices.

Farmers said if immediate steps are not taken to ensure adequate supply of fertilizer the target of boro paddy and rabi crops cultivation won't be achieved here this season.

Visiting some markets of Taherpur, Durgapur, Mohanganj Bagmara and Bhabaniganj this correspondent found that DAP fertilizer was being sold only in one or two shops at exorbitant prices while TSP and Potash remained out of the market.

Ayub Ali a farmer of Ratu village in Durgapur upazila said he was facing problems in cultivating boro paddy and other rabi crops in his 30 bighas of land due to acute fertilizer crisis.