Growing demand for fertiliser during the peak Aman season and ahead of early winter vegetable cultivation is fuelling frustration among farmers in Bhurungamari upazila of Kurigram, with many saying they are struggling to obtain supplies from authorised dealers.
The growing discontent has already spilled into protests, road blockades and incidents involving fertiliser dealers, reflecting mounting tensions over distribution.
Farmers also complain that they receive little field-level advice from agriculture officials on which fertiliser or pesticide to use, and in what quantities.
Agriculture officials, however, say there is no overall shortage of fertiliser in the upazila. They blame excessive use and stockpiling by some farmers for putting additional pressure on supplies.
A visit to several unions on Thursday found farmers moving from one sales outlet to another in search of fertiliser. Many said they either failed to get supplies or received much less than they needed.
At 9am, farmers were seen waiting at the BCIC dealer outlet of Messrs Janarddan Chandra Saha at Camp Mor in Bangasonahat Union. Three to five farmers were reportedly sharing one sack of DAP, while urea distribution had been suspended because of insufficient stock.
The farmers said their Aman paddy was around one-and-a-half to nearly two months old and they wanted to apply fertiliser to the fields. Agriculture officials, however, said DAP was not needed at this stage and applying it would be wasteful.
Mohammad Ali and Abdul Aziz, who had collected DAP, said they were unaware that the fertiliser was not recommended for Aman paddy at this stage.
“We do not know which fertiliser should be applied and when. We look at the condition of the plants and apply fertiliser accordingly,” Mohammad Ali said.
Abdul Aziz, who has two bighas of Aman, said he could not obtain urea and was therefore planning to use DAP instead.
“I do not know what else to do. I am using DAP because I could not get urea,” he said.
Abul Hashem, a representative of the dealer, said demand had increased sharply as farmers had begun cultivating eggplant on hundreds of bighas of land in the char areas.
“The demand for fertiliser is very high, but we are not getting enough to meet it,” he said.
In Gunaiyer Kuti char along the Dudhkumar River, farmers were cultivating early-season eggplant on hundreds of bighas of land.
Several farmers said they needed urea and DAP but could not obtain enough. They also complained that block supervisors, or BSs, rarely visit their fields to provide advice.
Instead, representatives of private agrochemical companies often visit the area, and farmers rely on their recommendations, they said.
Hridoy Molla, who has cultivated eggplant on four bighas, said he was unable to obtain fertiliser according to his requirements.
“I am mixing organic fertiliser and magnesium and applying them to the fields. The BSs do not come here. We apply fertiliser based on the condition of the plants,” he said.
Another farmer, Ramadan Ali, said he was also forced to rely on his own experience.
“We do not get fertiliser or advice. No BS comes here. We use our own knowledge to decide what fertiliser and pesticides to apply,” he said.
Kurigram Department of Agricultural Extension Deputy Director Abdullah Al Mamun denied that agriculture officials were disconnected from farmers, but acknowledged that staff shortages made it difficult to reach everyone.
“There is a tendency among farmers in Bhurungamari to apply excessive amounts of fertiliser. Many are seeking fertiliser even when it is not necessary and do not follow the recommended doses,” he said.
“There is no need to apply DAP to Aman paddy at this stage. Doing so would be a waste. After September 20, there will also be no need to apply urea. Many farmers use DAP instead of urea,” he added.
Regarding the farmers’ complaints about a lack of field-level advice, Mamun said BSs were required to visit fields and provide technical support through field days and other programmes.
“There are many farmers in each union, while we have a shortage of manpower. So it may not always be possible to reach everyone. However, BSs are stationed at every union parishad, and farmers can go there for advice whenever necessary,” he said.
Considering the increased demand, the agriculture department has sought an additional allocation of 300 tonnes each of urea and DAP for Bhurungamari, beyond the upazila’s regular allocation, Mamun said.
