The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

CHITTAGONG, Jan 06: Cultivators of the country are yet to get any benefit from the fertilizer price decline in the global market.

They are still compelled to buy the very essential item of cultivation at an exorbitant price. The farmers apprehend, if the price of fertiliser is not reduced, it would have adverse affect on cultivation.

Price of different kinds of chemical fertiliser began rising in the month of May last year and price of some of those almost doubled.

Since then, prices of urea fertiliser, TSP and MOP jumped to Tk 12, Tk 75 and Tk 48 per kilogramme respectively while those fertiliser used to be sold at a rate of Tk 6, Tk 34 and Tk 30 respectively earlier.

On the other hand, price of the chemical fertiliser began declining in the global market since the month of August last and it has already registered a wide-ranging rise.

Concerned sources said, price of urea has dropped to US$ 246 from US$ 770. Price of TSP has declined to $ 915 while it sold at $ 1132 in the global market.

Price levels of those two kinds of fertilisers registered up to 68 per cent and 19 per cent fall respectively in the global market.

But no positive impact on price level of the said item in the local market is yet in a sight.

While talking to the farmers, it is gathered that due to price hike of the fertiliser, they are gradually losing their interests in cultivating crops facing loss.

If the price of fertiliser is not reduced at a justified level, Boro cultivation may be hampered, farmers fear.