United News of Bangladesh

Onion farmers in Kumarkhali Upazila are struggling with a fertiliser shortfall just as high market prices are driving record planting this season. Last year, onions fetched prices ranging from Tk 35–40 per kilogram at the start of the season, climbing to Tk 120–135 per kilogram later in the year, locals said. This fiscal year, they said, prices currently hover around Tk 85-90 per kilogram, while production costs stand at Tk 22–25 per kilogram, creating a lucrative margin that has prompted many farmers to expand cultivation. Read more: Govt to procure 50,000 mt of non-basmati parboiled rice, 80,000 mt fertiliser But farmers say a lack of essential fertilisers, including urea, TSP, MOP, and DAP, threatens the budding crop. Allegations of dealer collusion are rife, with sub-dealers and intermediaries reportedly charging Tk 5–10 more per kilogram than government-fixed rates. Kumarkhali Upazila has a total cultivable area of 18,240 hectares. For the 2025–26 fiscal year, authorities set a target of 4,920 hectares for onion cultivation, with saplings already planted on 3,690 hectares. Agriculture officials expect the area under cultivation to surpass the target, buoyed by the crop’s profitability. Production costs, including land lease, seeds, fertilisers, and crop care, average around Tk 150,000 per hectare. Yet farmers on the ground say limited access to fertilisers could erode potential profits. “Last year, onions sold for Tk 40 to Tk 135 per kilogram, which motivated many to switch to onion cultivation,” said Laltu Ali Sheikh of Panti Union. “But we cannot get sufficient fertilisers.” Farmers claim dealers provide only 10–20 kilograms per bigha at official prices, forcing them to buy extra at higher rates. Sub-dealers are reportedly selling TSP at Tk 1,850–2,000 per sack, DAP at Tk 1,450–1,600, and MOP at Tk 1,150–1,200, significantly above official prices of Tk 1,350, Tk 1,050, and Tk 1,000, respectively. Khondakar Abdul Gaffar, president of the Kushtia BCIC Fertiliser Dealers Association, acknowledged government supply shortfalls but denied deliberate overpricing by dealers. “Some sub-dealers and unscrupulous traders buy from various sources and sell at higher rates. Legal action is needed against them,” he said. Local authorities maintain that fertiliser availability is stable. Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Raisul Islam said, “Fertilisers are being sold at fair prices. Some unscrupulous traders sold at higher rates but were fined.” Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farzana Akhter added that authorities are monitoring dealer syndicates and taking action to ensure fertilisers are sold at government-fixed rates. Read more: Overuse of chemical fertilisers threatens soil health in northern Bangladesh Meanwhile, fields in Yaduboyra, Panti, Bagulat, Nandalalpur, and Chapra unions are alive with activity. Groups of 20–30 people, including farmers, labourers, and students, are planting onion seedlings. Some students are earning Tk 500 per day to help cover labour shortages. For Kushtia’s onion growers, the challenge is clear: lucrative returns are on offer, but without timely access to fertilisers, the season’s promise could be undercut, according to local market observers.

The government of Bangladesh has raised the prices of Urea, TSP, DAP and MOP fertilisers by Tk 5 per kg at both farmer and dealership levels. The new rates came into effect on Monday. The agriculture ministry issued an order in this regard on Monday following a letter sent by the finance department of the finance ministry. The prices have been refixed aiming to keep the fertilizer import at a rational level amid the hike in its prices at the international level and ensure optimum utilization of fertilizers, said the order. Read More: Cabinet body approves proposals for import of LNG, fertiliser and lentil At the farmers’ level, the price of per kg Urea has been raised to Tk 27 from Tk 22, DAP to Tk 21 from Tk 16, TSP to Tk 27 from Tk 22 and MOP to Tk 20 from Tk 15. Similarly, at the dealers’ level, the Urea price has been re-fixed at Tk 25 instead of Tk 20, DAP at Tk 19 instead of Tk 14, TSP at Tk 25 instead of Tk 20 and MOP at Tk 18 instead of Tk 13. The current price of Urea, DAP, TSP and MOP fertilisers in the international market is Tk 48, Tk 70, Tk 50 and Tk 60 per kg respectively. As a result, the government is still giving a subsidy of Tk 21 in Urea, Tk 49 in DAP, Tk 23 in TSP and Tk 40 in MOP per kg even after the latest price hike, said a media release of the agriculture ministry. Read More: Production at Shahjalal Fertiliser Company suspended for 2 months, causing Tk 50 lakh in losses daily Fertilizer prices were raised by 3-4 times in the global market in the last three years, resulting in hike in government subsidy in the country four times, it said. In the fiscal year 2020-21, the amount of subsidy was Tk 7,420 crore while it increased to TK 28 crore in 21-22 FY and in the running 2022-23 fiscal year, about Tk 46,000 crore will be required for subsidy. From 2008-09 to 2022-23 fiscal years, Tk 1,19,837 crore was spent as fertiliser subsidy.