Northern farmers paying more for TSP fertiliser amid low supply

Farmers in the northern districts are paying Tk 47 to Tk 50 per kilogramme for triple superphosphate (TSP) fertiliser this Aman season, while the government rate is Tk 27.

A 50-kg sack in the retail market now costs Tk 450 to Tk 500 more than the official price of Tk 1,350.

For the July-September Aman season, TSP demand in five northern districts of Bogura, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Dinajpur and Gaibandha was estimated at 53,649 tonnes and sent to the agriculture ministry, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

But only 19,682 tonnes were allocated for the period, according to the DAE. Meanwhile, dealers say the shortage in government supply has pushed up retail prices.

For the July-September Aman season, TSP demand in five northern districts was estimated at 53,649 tonnes. But only 19,682 tonnes were allocated for the period

Sarwar Alam, a farmer from Paschim Palsha village in Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur, who planted Aman paddy on 12 bighas this year, said he had to pay Tk 1,800 per sack after failing to buy from dealers.

"When we go to the dealers, they say there is no fertiliser. They are not giving the fertiliser to farmers; instead, they are selling it to retailers at higher prices through syndicates," he alleged. Similarly, farmers in Bogura, Naogaon, Joypurhat and Gaibandha also said they were not getting enough non-urea fertilisers at government rates.

Abdur Rauf, a Union Parishad member from Shakhar Union at Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha, said farmers in his area were forced to buy fertiliser at high prices from retailers because of low supply to dealers.

Abdul Jalil, a Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) sub-dealer at Shahargachi area of Gobindaganj upazila, said, "My monthly demand for TSP fertiliser here is 1,000 sacks. I was allocated only 81 sacks in August. This covered only four to five big farmers."

Md Khabirul Utpal, another BCIC dealer in Gobindaganj, said demand was high but allocations were very low.

A similar situation has been reported in Kushtia district.

Sharif Uddin, a farmer from Bottoila village at Kushtia Sadar upazila, said he recently bought TSP fertiliser at Tk 47 per kg. "The cost of cultivation is increasing due to the double price of fertiliser," he said.

On September 7, Kushtia district Senior Agricultural Marketing Officer Sujat Hossain Khan visited Madhupur Bazar in Kushtia Sadar upazila.

Disguising his identity, he bought two kilogrammes of TSP fertiliser for Tk 100. "Two retailers in Madhupur Bazar were selling fertiliser at much higher prices than the government rate," he told The Daily Star.

Mizanur Rahman, a BCIC dealer at Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia, said, "This year, only 103 bags of TSP were allocated for our union. What will I do with this little amount for such a large region?"

There have also been allegations that fertiliser dealers are moving TSP between districts to sell at inflated prices.

Shamima Akter Jahan, upazila nirbahi officer of Kalai in Joypurhat district, said she had fined seven dealers so far through mobile courts for this offence. Three dealers in Gaibandha were fined in August for the same violation, according to the Gaibandha DAE.

However, Khorshed Alam, deputy director of Gaibandha DAE, said that there was no fertiliser shortage. "We are encouraging farmers to use DAP instead of TSP for Aman paddy, as using DAP significantly reduces the use of urea."

Sohel Md Shamsuddin Firoz, deputy director of the Bogura DAE, said, "Farmers are using more fertiliser than necessary."

He added that demand appears higher now because many farmers are stocking up on TSP for the next potato crop.

Kazem Ali, regional joint director of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) in Bogura, said, "We distribute fertiliser to dealers according to government directives."

But he noted that allocations of non-urea fertilisers have been cut over the last three years despite an adequate stock.

"In 2023, the Bogura region dealers got 132,000 tonnes of non-urea fertiliser, which dropped to 106,000 tonnes in 2024. So far this year, only 32,000 tonnes have been allocated among 567 dealers, and 52,000 tonnes are currently in stock," he said.

According to the DAE field wing in Dhaka, this year's allocation of TSP for the country is 7.5 lakh tonnes.

Aminul Islam Mondol, deputy director (fertiliser management) of the DAE field wing, said, "Last year, the demand for TSP fertiliser sent by upazila and district DAE offices nationwide was 13 lakh tonnes, while the allocation was 7.5 lakh tonnes."

Asked about the lower allocation compared with demand, Mondol said, "Upazila-level offices across the country send a higher demand for non-urea fertilisers. They do not want to take risks to avoid any potential fertiliser crisis later."

"The government heavily subsidises TSP fertiliser. While the international market price is Tk 80 to Tk 82 per kg, farmers receive it for only Tk 27 per kg. Therefore, farmers are advised to use it judiciously," he added.

[Our Kushtia Correspondent Anisur Rahman contributed to this report.]