August 23, 2022
DHAKA – Dealers will lose their trade licence if they try to create a fertiliser crisis in the country as there is enough of it in stock to meet the demand until January next year, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said yesterday.
Stern action will also be taken against those who create the artificial crisis, the minister added.
He spoke at an event at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) at Farmgate in the capital.
The government gave Tk 28,000 crore in fertiliser subsidy last year, Awami League Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah said at the event as the chief guest.
However, for the first time in 11 years, the government raised the price of urea fertiliser by Tk 6 per kg with effect from August 1 this year. Farmers now have to pay Tk 22 per kg for the ertiliser.
The last time the government increased the price was in June 2011, when it was raised to Tk 20 from Tk 12 per kg. Two years later, the government reduced the price to Tk 16 per kg.