The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Floods are likely to set the government a big challenge in the upcoming crop season, Agriculture Adviser CS Karim yesterday said.

Speaking on urea price adjustment, the adviser said there was no alternative to hiking the prices in the wake of a rise on the international market.

"Prices are still within the reach of farmers."

The Adviser brushed aside any impact of the price hike on rice prices and said: "The cost of urea has increased by only 40 paisa per kg of rice. But the amount of agriculture subsidy has increased at the same time to cushion farmers against shocks."

Asked to comment on the next big challenge in the crop season of aman , Karim said: "We have arranged supplementary measures for fertiliser and irrigation. But flooding will be a big challenge. We cannot stop floods." Replying to queries about the high prices of rice despite a bumper harvest of boro crop, Karim blamed "problems in marketing" such as intermediaries coming between producers and retailers.

"We really don't know where the problem lies. I ask you to find it out," the Adviser told reporters after attending an award giving ceremony for partners involved in promoting the use of pellet (guti) urea.

The government's Expansion of Urea Deep Placement (UDP) Technology project during the boro crop season 2008 led about 4 lakh farmers to use pellet urea on more than 1.5 lakh hectares.

The project implemented through the Department of Agricultural Extension with support from International Fertiliser Development Centre was financed by the US Agency for International Development.

More than 350 people including farmers and DAE field-officials were awarded in recognition of their achievements and performance.

In his speech as the chief guest, the adviser stressed the use of bio-fertiliser as costs of fertiliser import would increase in future.

Karim urged framers to cooperate with the government in facing the challenges of food security and climate change.

USAID official Anne Williams said the use of UDP technology reduces waste of fertiliser and erosion of soil fertility.

"The use of this technology leads to savings in foreign exchange and subsidies, and reduces the use of expensive chemical fertiliser." She hoped the business community and banks would help expand this technology.

Agriculture secretary M Abdul Aziz, IFDC's senior scientist Thomas P Thompson, DAE director general Md Shamsul Alam also spoke.