The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rrangpur

Farmers have hailed the decision of reducing the prices of non- urea fertilizers further and thanked the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for this pro-people and pro-farmer pragmatic step.

While talking to BSS on Tuesday agri-scientists, farmers and common people and NGO experts said agri-productions will sharply boost and the farmers will now be able to ensure a balanced use of chemical fertilizers to keep the soil health sound following the decision.

Thanking the government, they said production costs of the agriculture produce will now be reduced and asked for taking necessary steps including procuring paddy directly from the farmers to ensure fair prices of agri-products to the growers. Renowned rice scientist Dr MA Mazid, who is also Coordinator (Delivery & Adaptive Research) of Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) of International Rice Research Institute, stationed at Dinajpur hub termed the decision as epoch making.

"These non-urea fertilizers should be made available very soon at the grassroots levels through the dealers to enable the farmers purchasing the same at the reduced rates as they have already started sowing early potato seeds before the Boro season," he suggested.

Talking to BSS on Tuesday, big farmers Mahmudul Islam, Shree Atin Kumar, Mushfiq and Habibur Rahman of Basudebpur village and Masudar Rahman of Dangapara in Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur expressed their satisfaction over further reduction of the fertilizer prices.

"The farmers will now gain huge interests further in farming more and more paddies and other major crops and it will definitely boost productions in the agriculture sector from the current winter season," said MG Neogi, head of agriculture of RDRS.

Farmers Belal Hossain, Abdur Rashid, Mozahar Hossain, and sharecroppers Abul Kalam Azad, Monwar Uddin and many others of different villages in Badalgachhi, Dhamoirhat and Mohadebpur upazilas in Naogaon also expressed their similar views.

Farmers Shaheb Ali of village Mojider Par, Abuhar Rahman of village Khorkhoria, Reazul Islam of village Machabandha and local elite Nurul Amin of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram thanked the government for the right step at right time.

Thanking the government, social worker Shahidul Islam of Panchagarh, farmers Abdul Kuddus of village Satkhamar in Atoari and Emdad Hossain of Bhajanpur in Tentulia upazila in Panchagarh have called for taking steps to ensure fair price of agri- products. Besides, farmers Esahaq Ali and Mosharraf Hossain of Rangpur, Aminul Islam and Abdus Salam of Kurigram, Solaiman Ali and Abdul Goni of Nilphamari and Aminur Rahman and Sekendar Ali of Lalmonirhat also thanked the government for the step.

Bigger farmers Mushfiqur Rahman and Atin Kumar of Dinajpur said further reduction of non-urea fertilizer prices was very urgent to revive enthusiasm among farmers for farming potato, paddy on larger scales to achieve self-reliance in foods grains and ensure country's food security.

"The farmers will now not apply excessive urea to their crop lands as the prices of the non-urea fertilizers have come down to the reasonable limits and within their reach and it will help them ensuring a balanced use of fertilizers to improve soil health," they said.

The farmers said that they are not getting fair prices of paddy and some greedy traders are enjoying the benefit of present rice procurement policy and added that many of them had to sell their Boro paddy this year below the production costs.

They urged the present pro-people and pro-farmer government to formulate newer mechanisms for procuring rice, paddy or wheat keeping in view the main objective of the government to provide fair prices of the agri- produce to the farmers.

To ensure fair prices of paddy for the farmers, they suggested the government to procure paddy directly from the farmers and then provide the paddy to the millers at certain rates per tonne to prepare rice before stocking those in the government godowns.