Fertiliser subsidy benefits others, not the farmers

Farmers are expected to make a profit because production costs have reduced due to subsidy on fertiliser, seed and fuel in the agro sector. However the reality is they have to struggle even to cover production costs. The benefits of agricultural subsidies do not reach them. Owing to irregularities and mismanagement, a huge syndicate is pocketing the profits generated from subsidy. Starting from the ministry down to the field level agricultural officers, importers, dealers, are all involved. Unauthorised traders have also joined them. Even though the policy makers of the government are well aware of this, these irregularities continue.

There are specific guidelines on private import, on subsidising fertiliser imported by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and non-urea fertiliser produced by Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), and on how that fertiliser will reach the field level retailers. There is mention of various penalties and strict measures in case of violation of these instructions. Going beyond the government policy, there is no scope for anyone except the appointed dealers and retailers to collect and sell the fertiliser. If this is sidestepped, the farmers will be cheated. This implies the government subsidy going in vain. A Prothom Alo report shows exactly that is what is happening in the southern, south-western and northern regions of the country.

The sales centre for these regions is at Nawapara of Abhaynagar in Jashore. According to the guidelines, dealers or officials of the organisations are supposed to collect the fertiliser directly from there and sell it in their own respective upazilas. And the farmers are to receive that through sales representatives. Nonetheless, dealers are using some local Nawapara traders to collect the fertiliser. Only a small amount of that fertiliser is arriving in the upazilas. Local traders are selling the fertiliser to importers or retailers. Meanwhile, being unable to get fertiliser from the agents, farmers are buying that same fertiliser from the markets for prices higher than fixed by the government. The farmers even have to pay extra on transporting the fertiliser as it does not reach the union level. As a result some hustlers who are not authorised by the government are entering into the process as local traders. However, the dealers have to submit a report of receiving the fertiliser to the Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) as soon as it reaches the upazila. And the UAO or some other authorised official will give permission to sale the fertiliser only after inspecting this in persons. The agricultural officials should be the first to realise that the dealers are not bringing the fertiliser to the upazilas, but are selling this to the hustlers in Nawapara.

The agriculture ministry itself is supposed to monitor the distribution of imported fertiliser through dealers, supply and price situation, so that farmers can avail the subsidy benefits. Fertiliser and seed monitoring committees of the district and upazila are involved with the supervising of this. Therefore it is evident that the management is not being done properly and the screening is not being done well either. In this way the scope of anomalies has been created.

However, concerned people claim, all other irregularities including this one involving subsidised fertiliser are in the knowledge of the ministry and the upazila agriculture officers. They themselves are entangled in irregularities. The benefits of this subsidy provided with public money to the farmers, are being pocketed by dishonest officials, importers, dealers and peddlers. Now the fiends have entered the ministry and department of agriculture, who will drive them out? How much more farmers have to continue suffering?