Farmers demand more fertilizer than recommended by Khamari App

The autumn season is underway. The vegetable and early winter crop season is approaching. The time to prepare seedbeds for crops is also drawing closer. However, farmers are worried as they are not getting the required amount of fertilizer for preparing their land.

Following government instructions, dealers are not providing fertilizer beyond the amount recommended by the Khamari app. Meanwhile, the fertility of each plot of land varies, resulting in different fertilizer requirements. As a result, farmers in Ghoraghat of Dinajpur are facing difficulties.

Dealers meanwhile say they have been caught in a dilemma over fertilizer sales. Under government instructions, they cannot sell fertilizer beyond the amount recommended by the Khamari app. They are also concerned that they could face action for violating the rules.

Dealers said they have to sell fertilizer in accordance with government instructions. As a result, even when farmers have additional demand at the field level, dealers have to remain within the prescribed limit. However, many farmers are demanding several times more fertilizer than the amount specified in the app based on their years of farming experience. This is creating disputes during fertilizer sales.

Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, a fertilizer dealer in Bulakipur Union of the upazila, said they want to sell fertilizer in accordance with government rules. However, following the rules has led to dissatisfaction among farmers. The pressure is particularly high in the case of TSP fertilizer. He said, “Although the Khamari app recommends using 6 to 7 kilograms of TSP per bigha, many farmers come to buy as much as 15 to 20 kilograms of fertilizer.”

There are 19 fertilizer dealers in Ghoraghat. They receive an allocation of 135 tons of TSP fertilizer per month. As a result, dealers said they are facing pressure not only over the conflict between the app’s recommendations and farmers’ additional demand but also over the allocation.

Farmers, however, have a different argument. According to them, the fertility of the soil varies from one plot to another. The crop grown in the previous season, how many years the land has been cultivated and the land’s production capacity also affect the amount of fertilizer required.

The agriculture department, however, said fertilizer quantities are determined by considering soil quality and crop requirements. There is no guarantee that using more fertilizer than necessary will increase yields. Rather, excessive fertilizer use can increase production costs. In the long run, it may also damage soil quality.

Ghoraghat Upazila Agriculture Officer Rafiquzzaman said Aman paddy is being cultivated on around 11,500 hectares of land in the upazila this year. The Khamari app recommends fertilizer amounts based on the type of crop, soil quality and requirements. Farmers could face losses instead of benefits from using excessive fertilizer.