Favorable weather has ushered in the early potato cultivation season in Dinajpur, with farmers now busy plowing, sowing, and tending to their fields.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), early potato varieties are being cultivated across approximately 11,000 hectares in the district this year.
However, at the very onset of the season, farmers have found themselves in distress due to the fertilizer syndicate’s manipulative practices.
Although the unusually low prices of potato seeds have brought temporary relief, they are being forced to purchase fertilizers and pesticides at prices higher than those fixed by the government.
This year, farmers are sowing early potato varieties such as Bina-7, Sunshine, and Stariz.
In previous years, despite the government fixing seed prices between Tk57 and Tk66 per kilogram (depending on the variety), farmers had to pay Tk80–110 per kg.
This year, however, the same seeds are being sold for as low as Tk15–16 per kg in the market — a drastic drop that has slightly reduced production costs. But the situation with fertilizers is quite the opposite.
Farmers allege that dealers are selling fertilizers at inflated prices, ignoring government price caps.
The current fertilizer rates compared to government-fixed prices are as follows:
- TSP: Government rate Tk1,250; sold at Tk1,350
- DAP: Government rate Tk950; sold at Tk1,050
- MOP: Government rate Tk900; sold at Tk1,000
- Urea: Government rate Tk1,250; sold at Tk1,350
Additionally, imported fertilizers are being sold at even higher prices — Tunisian TSP at Tk2,000, local TSP at Tk2,400, Moroccan DAP at Tk1,700–1,800, local DAP at Tk2,000, and Canadian MOP at Tk1,200 per bag.
More alarmingly, despite charging inflated prices, dealers are allegedly refusing to issue purchase vouchers.
Jewel Islam, a farmer from Ghughudanga village in Sadar upazila, expressed frustration, saying that dealers are selling fertilizers well above the fixed rate and denying receipts when asked, claiming that the fertilizers are out of stock.
“We’re being forced to buy fertilizers at higher prices without vouchers, leaving us with no legal proof of purchase,” he added.
However, there is some relief in the fact that labor costs have remained similar to last year.
Farmers are optimistic that within 50–55 days, the crops will be ready for harvest, with expected yields of 140–150 maunds per acre.
The main incentive behind early cultivation in the month of Ashwin, ahead of the prime Agrahayan season, is the higher market price of early-harvested potatoes.
When approached, none of the fertilizer dealers agreed to comment. A former leader of the BADC Seed and Fertilizer Dealers Association, requesting anonymity, admitted that potato seed prices have indeed dropped significantly this year. He also acknowledged the existence of a syndicate responsible for inflating fertilizer prices, saying: "Even if someone wants to act independently, it’s not possible under the current system.”
Repeated attempts to contact Md Jahangir Alam, joint director (Fertilizer), for comment on fertilizer allocation and overpricing went unanswered.
Md Afzal Hossain, deputy director of the Dinajpur DAE, said that if reports of overpricing are verified, the department will investigate and take appropriate action against the responsible dealers. “Our monitoring teams are actively inspecting the field,” he said.
Farmers, however, question why they should bear losses due to such syndicates when the government has already set official fertilizer prices.
They urge authorities to dismantle these syndicates promptly and safeguard farmers’ interests before the season’s gains are eroded.
