Farmers in various districts bear brunt of diesel chaos

Highlights:
- Rabi crops are highly irrigation-dependent
- 60% of country's rice is produced in this season
- Diesel availability not regular in many districts
- Some farmers buying diesel at Tk150 per litre
Farmers in some south-western and northern districts have
said they are not getting adequate diesel for irrigation pumps due to limited
supply of fuels from depots, raising concerns over the fate of rabi crops.
Boro paddy, maize, mango,
watermelon and various rabi season crops are now in the fields.
As this period of the year sees
little rain, farmers heavily depend on pumps–-mostly diesel-fuelled–- to
irrigate their farmland for these crops.
Amid severe disruption in diesel imports due to the Middle
East war, the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has scaled down
supplies of fuel oils, according to filling station owners.
In some districts, farmers are
required to show allotment letters from the agriculture office to collect a
limited amount of diesel from filling stations after days of waiting.
In some cases, farmers have said
they are returning empty-handed or paying higher prices for amounts far less
than they need.
Gauranga Mondal
of Basurabad village in Sadar union
of Batiaghata upazila in Khulna has cultivated paddy on three
bighas of land this season.
He told TBS yesterday, "Despite trying for the last 15 days, I couldn't
manage any diesel. Since my land is in a low-lying area, electric pumps cannot
be used. So, I couldn't irrigate my land even once during this period.
Yesterday, I managed to buy 4 litres of diesel at Tk150
per litreand irrigated my land. Now the paddy has started forming grains.
If it doesn't get enough water at this stage, most of it will turn empty."
A similar situation has been
observed
in Dumuria, Dakop, Rupsaand Paikgachha upazilas of
Khulna. Many farmers are being forced to buy diesel from the black market at
higher prices, increasing production costs.
Deep Narayan Biswas, a farmer
from Devitala village in Batiaghata, said, "Thousands of
bighas of land in our village are used for watermelon cultivation. But no
diesel has arrived in the village for the past 13 days. Yesterday, I
managed to collect 60 litres of diesel from a pump in Khulna with
certification from the agriculture department. This will last only a few days.
I don't know what will happen after that. Watermelon requires a lot of water.
If this continues, farmers will suffer badly."
Experts say rabi crops are highly
irrigation-dependent, and about 60% of the country's rice is produced in this
season.
Therefore, it is crucial for food
security. They stress that agriculture should be prioritised over
other sectors in diesel allocation; otherwise, it could affect food security.
Professor Dr
Jahangir Alam of the Department of Agribusiness and Marketing at
Bangladesh Agricultural University told TBS that Bangladesh's irrigation system
is still heavily dependent on diesel. "Even if it costs more, diesel
imports from alternative sources must continue. At the same time, some people
are hoarding diesel out of panic, and the government should take action against
them," he said.
According to the Department of
Agricultural Extension, Boropaddy has been cultivated on 50.5 lakh
hectares this year, while maize has been grown on about 5,680 hectares.
Data from the agriculture ministry
show that the country has 754 deep tube wells, 10,39,337 shallow tube wells,
and 1,84,384 low-lift pumps – most of which are diesel-operated. Diesel use is
particularly high in the northern regions and haor areas.
Regarding the issue, Khulna Deputy
Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md Nazrul Islam said that
the shortage in rural areas is due to black market activities by unscrupulous
groups. "Still, we are trying in various ways to arrange diesel for
farmers," he added.
However, filling station owners say
the shortage is due to insufficient supply from depots. They fear the situation
could worsen if supply is not normalised.
Samad, a diesel pump owner in
Khulna city, said, "We are getting only one tanker of diesel per day,
which is far below demand. The administration has banned selling diesel in
drums to prevent hoarding. However, we are supplying diesel in drums to farmers
who have certification from the agriculture department."
The problem is not limited to
Khulna. Farmers in Naogaon, Bogura, Rajshahi and other
districts reported similar issues.
Farmers along the Jamuna river
in Sariakandi, Bogura, are also struggling with irrigation. Although
there are three oil dealers at one filling station in the upazila, none
have sufficient diesel. Some retail shops are selling diesel at Tk150 per kg.
Farmers say they are unable to get diesel from pumps or dealers despite
repeated attempts.
Farmer Sona Mia
from Mulbari char said, "I have cultivated maize on about 35
bighas and Boro on another 10 bighas. Due to the shortage, many are
trying to hoard fuel. Failing to get diesel from pumps or agents, we are forced
to buy at higher prices from the open market. This is raising production costs
significantly. If this continues, it will be difficult for us to continue
farming."
It was found that farmers
in Rajshahi are standing in long queues at filling stations but still
not getting adequate diesel, besides enduring long waiting times.
Yusuf Ali, a farmer
from Charghat, said diesel is also needed now for harvesting and threshing
maize using agricultural machinery. "But we are not getting enough diesel.
Even after booking, it takes several days to receive it," he said.
Charghat Upazila Agriculture
Officer Al Mamun said diesel is not available regularly. "After supplying
one day, it takes another three days to get supply again. So there is
a shortage, though not severe – we are trying to ensure farmers get
diesel."
However, agriculture offices claim
there is no acute shortage in Rajshahi. Farmers have been issued
certification cards, which allow them to purchase diesel directly from filling
stations. Sub-assistant agriculture officers have been assigned to different
stations to facilitate distribution.
Deputy Director
of Rajshahi Agricultural Extension Department Nasir Uddin said that
while diesel is no longer available in local markets as before, farmers can
still buy it from filling stations using certification cards.















