The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Sherpur

Aman paddy production target may not be achieved in the district this season as the farmers cannot apply adequate fertilizer due to its abnormal price hike.

Sources said many farmers cultivated Aman paddy without applying essential fertilizers like TSP, MOP, DSP and SSP for their sky-rocketing prices.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources a scheme has been taken up to bring 87,000 hectares of land under transplanted Aman cultivation in the district with a target to produce over 1.96 lakh metric tons of rice. They said the farmers so far cultivated 62,000 hectares.

The agri experts said that the target of production would not be achieved as many farmers failed to use essential chemical fertilizers on their lands. M Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of Department of DAE said a program has been taken to popularize compost manure among the small and marginal farmers to make up the deficit of the chemical manure.

Some farmers of Bhatshala village in Sadar upazila, Nabinagar area and Nalitabari upazila said they were compelled to transplant Aman on their land without using TSP, MOP and DSP fertilizers. They said they are now expecting to get 25-30 maunds of paddy in per acre against the 45-50 maunds last season.

They said per maund of TSP fertilizer is being sold at Tk 2900 against the previous price of Tk 800, MOP at Tk 2100 against Tk 600 and DSP at Tk 4000 against Tk 1200.