Agriculture minister asks authorities to remain watchful to prevent fertiliser smuggling

Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid has directed authorities to step up surveillance in border districts to prevent fertiliser from being smuggled out of Bangladesh.

He issued the directive at a meeting with deputy commissioners and deputy directors of the Department of Agricultural Extension at the Secretariat on Monday to discuss fertiliser supplies for the upcoming Rabi season.

“Some areas in neighbouring countries have higher demand for and prices of non-urea fertilisers, creating the risk of smuggling. Urea could also be smuggled out of Bangladesh because of shortages in some areas across the border. Under no circumstances will fertiliser meant for domestic use be allowed to leave the country,” the minister said.

He warned that irregularities in fertiliser distribution and management would lead to the cancellation of dealers’ licences, while officials involved would face departmental action.

“If any irregularities, corruption or harassment of farmers are reported in fertiliser distribution and management, the licences of newly appointed fertiliser dealers will be cancelled,” he said.

The minister added that appropriate action would also be taken against officials found to be involved in irregularities in fertiliser management.

Emphasising transparency and accountability, he said the authorities must define the service areas of newly appointed dealers when issuing their licences.

“The allocation of dealership areas must take into account the size of agricultural land, the number of farmers and cropping intensity. Appropriate legal action must be taken against dealers who violate the rules,” he said.

The minister also stressed the need to ensure that fertilisers are sold at government-fixed prices. He directed authorities to require every dealer to display price lists and stock information at their shops.

“Mobile courts and regular drives must be conducted against artificial shortages, overcharging, hoarding and the illegal smuggling of fertilisers across the border,” he said.

He also instructed officials to use farmer cards and official lists of farmers to ensure that fertilisers are distributed fairly to genuine farmers.

Noting that fertiliser allocations and supplies were being increased ahead of the upcoming Rabi season, the minister said supplies this year had exceeded demand by a larger margin than in previous years.

He said there had been no significant increase in the cultivation of any new crops, but the government was prepared to meet any additional demand.

The minister said the government provides substantial subsidies for fertilisers and stressed that genuine farmers must benefit from them.

“On the one hand, there are complaints of fertiliser shortages; on the other, large quantities are stockpiled in warehouses or smuggled across the border. This points to the possibility of artificial shortages being created,” he said.

He urged deputy commissioners to play a responsible role in preventing such practices, warning that they would be held accountable for fertiliser-related irregularities in their respective districts.

Directing officials to ensure that farmers receive the fertilisers they need at fair prices, the minister said deputy commissioners and agricultural officials must make decisions based on local conditions, environmental factors and actual demand.

He said authorities must ensure the ready availability of fertilisers while preventing artificial shortages and market instability.

The minister also called for closer monitoring of the use of urea as a raw material in industrial plants. He instructed officials to take swift action against textile and dyeing factories if evidence emerged that they were using urea.

To this end, he said district-level fertiliser monitoring committees must meet regularly and monitor the situation.