No Fertilizer Stock for Upcoming Season, Warns Secretary Obaidur Rahman
Due to a shortage of required gas, fertilizer factories across the country have been shutting down one after another. Even fertilizer imports from the Middle East are not possible. In such a situation, Industries Secretary Obaidur Rahman delivered more bad news. He clearly stated that the government does not have the required fertilizer for the upcoming season.
On Thursday (April 9), the secretary said these things at a roundtable meeting organized by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Motijheel, the capital. At the event titled “Global Energy Crisis: Its Impact on Bangladesh and Strategies to Address It,” the keynote paper was presented by DCCI President Taskin Ahmed.
Industries Secretary Obaidur Rahman said, “There is risk in importing gas through the Strait of Hormuz. Amid the energy crisis, fertilizer factories have been shut down to supply gas to power plants. Altogether, a chaotic situation has been created. In such a condition, the government does not have the fertilizer required for the upcoming season.”
He said that due to the gas crisis, a shortage of more than 400,000 tons of fertilizer has been created in the country. “We are now getting gas for fertilizer factories for only three to four months. For the fertilizer needed in agriculture until June, our target is to maintain a stock of over 600,000 tons. But currently, we have only 217,000 tons in stock. That means there is already a shortage of over 400,000 tons.”
