Farmers block highway demanding fertiliser as per need

Several hundreds of farmers staged protest on Monday in Jamalpur sadar upazila in demand of ensuring sufficient amount of fertiliser since the period of using fertiliser to Ropa Aman paddy field is running out.

The agitated farmers blocked the Jamalpur-Mymensingh highway at Nandina bazar area for an hour – between 9:00am and 10:00am – halting traffic movement.

Later, the farmers called their demonstration off as the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) and local representatives assured them of meeting their demand.

The farmers alleged they are not getting the fertiliser as per their demand though the period of spreading fertiliser to Ropa Aman field is passing.

A group of farmers gathered in front of M/S Hayder Traders today, Monday, morning to purchase the fertiliser. As the godown didn't open even at 9:00am, they started protesting blocking the highway, they added.

However, the officials of the agricultural department claimed there is no fertiliser crisis. Chaos was created among the farmers in fear of purchasing fertiliser at higher prices.

The owner of Hayder Traders claimed he didn't open the godown to evade the chaos as only half of the allocated fertiliser reached his godown on Monday. But the number of farmers was gathered in front of the godown was several times higher than the amount of stocked fertiliser.

On a spot visit around 10:00am, it was seen that the farmers were demonstrating on the road. Later, UNO Litus Lowrance Chiran went to the scene and took the protesters to the nearby Ranigachha union parishad premises. The UNO then made a list of farmers to provide fertiliser.

A farmer, Shafiqul Islam, told Prothom Alo that "The paddy is about to spoil due to the scarcity of fertiliser. I went to many shops in the last eight days to buy fertiliser but to no avail. If there is no fertiliser crisis, why are the shopkeepers saying they have no fertiliser [to sell] ? "