Bangladesh fertilizer shortage raises fears for Boro rice season

Farmers across Bangladesh are struggling to obtain fertilizer as shortages, distribution problems, and alleged black-market sales raise fears of a deeper crisis during the coming Boro rice season.

In Kurigram, farmers protested and, in one case, broke into a dealer’s warehouse after failing to receive supplies.

Farmer Ershadul Haque said a 50-kilogram bag of diammonium phosphate priced by the government at Tk 1,050 (approximately $8.55) was selling for Tk 1,600 to Tk 1,700 (approximately $13.03 to $13.84) on the black market.

Government data show stocks of major fertilizers reached 1.286 million metric tons on Aug. 31, up 7.17% from a year earlier.

Agriculture expert Golam Rasul said distribution and oversight failures, rather than inadequate national stocks, were driving shortages. He warned the problem could become severe during Boro, which accounts for about 60% of Bangladesh’s fertilizer use.