Faulty distribution system and the government policy have pushed the price of urea I fertiliser up in northern dls-। tricts sithough there is an ( adequate stock of the item | in the country sources con cerned have said

। A 50 kg bag of urea is now being sold at fanners ievei in those districts at between Tk

' 240 and Tk 275 against the ' government fixed price of Tk I 186 25 according to fertil I tzer dealers

i "Mill gates of the fertilizer 1 factories have been occupied ! by some middlemen who are , controlling the prices and sales of urea ’ some dealers

I have alleged They urged the

authorities concerned to take immediate steps to avoid "another fertiliser scandal that may affect the winter crop

As we can not reach the mill gates because of these middlemen we are com pelled to buy per bag urea from them at Tk 195 said a members of the Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA) here

The BFA member also alleged that some officials of the urea factories were se crelive about the dates of fertiliser despatch and were keeping the autnonsed deal ers in the dark

Tfierefore we cannot de

posit money in advance to buy urea Local middlemen somehow get all advance in-lormation buy II and later sell at a higher price, said the BFA member 'Distributors of northern districts never get urea at government fixed prices he alleged

Another BFA member alleged that the government policy also contributed to the price hike of urea "We carry per bag of fertiliser to the northern districts at a rate of Tk 18 to 20 while the government appointed trans ports charge Tk 40 to 45

High transport cos' obviously Increases the price of

fertiliser. lie said.

Meanwhile, a high official of l he Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) said the stock of urea was enough to meet the demand. Six fertilizer factories of the country had a stock of 1.96.000 metric tonnes of urea as of November 1. the official told The Dally Star yesterday.

The BCIC supplied more than the projected demand during the July-October period this year . the officials said.

The Ministry of Agriculture had estimated the requirement of urea for 1995-96 at 19 lac metric tonnes. More than 7 lack metric tonnes have already been produced in the BCIC factories. the official said.

Officials of the Internationa] Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) said that the fertiliser distribution system should be made flexible and the polices consistent.

"Quick change In policies and lack of coordination among the authorities concerned were mainly responsible for the unstable fertiliser market.' said Thomas H Foster, a consultant of the Agro-based Industries and Technology Development Project funded by the IFDC and the USAID.

Abu Abdullah. Research Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and also a consultant of the project opined that the wholesale trade of fertiliser should not be monopolised.

He suggested that delivery of urea throughout the year ■ should be kept steady The price could be increased slightly in the peak season and lowered in the lean sea son lo avoid profiteering and manipulation by non professional and seasonal traders, he added