Agriculture Secretary: No fertilizer shortage in Bangladesh

No Fertilizer Crisis in Bangladesh: Agriculture Secretary

Agriculture Secretary Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian has firmly stated that there is no fertilizer shortage in the country.

“We have sufficient stock until December, so farmers will face no crisis this season,” he said on Thursday while visiting agricultural fields and irrigation projects in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts.

Dr. Mian emphasized the importance of raising awareness among grassroots farmers, noting that proper use of fertilizer could boost yields of wheat, potato, pulses, mustard, and vegetables by 15–40 percent.

To support this, the ministry has launched the Khamari App, designed to help farmers cut fertilizer costs and increase productivity. The app provides tailored information on crop types, required fertilizer, and seed quantities for specific plots. According to the secretary, the app can save farmers about Tk 1,000 per bigha in fertilizer costs for paddy while increasing yields by around one maund (40 kg) per bigha.

During his visit to Laldighi in Godagari Upazila, where the Khamari App is being applied across 206 bighas of land, Dr. Mian spoke directly with farmers and highlighted the progress achieved in the region with the support of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA). He noted that areas once limited to a single crop now produce three crops annually, marking a major transformation.

Senior officials including BMDA Executive Director Tariqul Alam, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Director General Saiful Alam, Additional Director Dr. Azizur Rahman, and several BMDA engineers accompanied him during the visit.

The Agriculture Secretary also stressed the need to promote less water-intensive cereal crops instead of relying solely on irrigated boro rice in the Barind region. He suggested that surface water irrigation—by reviving neglected natural water bodies—could help ease the mounting pressure on underground water resources in this drought-prone area.

The BMDA’s contributions to Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions have been wide-ranging, driving improvements in agricultural productivity, water management, and overall socio-economic development across 135 upazilas in 16 districts.