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State-run banks' Tk 22 crore-credit programme doesn't help farmers |
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December 18, 2000
Munshiganj-- (UNB)- Despite a massive scheme taken up to cultivate potato in the district the growers are facing problems due to shortage of working capital and price-hike of agri-inputs. Sources said Agriculture Department has taken up an ambitious programme to bring 26,000 hectares of land under potato cultivation in the current season. Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) has sanctioned only 482 mts potato seeds for the farmers as against demand of 54,000 mts. Meanwhile, 73 dealers directly distributed 114 mts of potato seeds among 114 farmers as against 368 mts of seeds sanctioned by BADC. Taking the advantage, dishonest traders are selling low quality potato seeds among the potato growers at exorbitant prices after packaging the seeds inside BADC’s sacks, farmers alleged. They said potato seeds are now being sold at Tk 20-26 per kg in various local markets as against the government rate of Tk 13. Some 63 cold storage out of total 71 in the district remained operative where there are 70,000 mts of potato seeds. However, potato seeds kept in most of the cold storage lost its quality due to lack of proper temperature forcing the potato growers to plant low quality seeds. On the other hand, the farmers are facing fertiliser crisis although 60 dealers have so far received an allotment of 24,720 mts of fertiliser as against demand of 26,500 mts. In local markets, each bag of fertiliser is now selling at Tk 310-335 as against Tk 280 fixed by the government, the farmers alleged. Agriculture Department received only 463 mts of triple super phosphate (TSP) and 1,723 mts of SSP fertiliser as against the demand of 14,000 mts and 23,860 mts respectively for potato cultivation in current season. As the potato growers are much interested to use local fertiliser for a good harvest, dishonest traders raised the prices of TSP and SSP fertiliser in local markets to earn windfall profits. Each bag of TSP fertiliser containing 50 kg is being sold in local markets at Tk 600-700 as against the government rate of Tk 510 while SSP fertiliser at Tk 300 as against Tk 280. Although state-run banks have taken up a Tk 22 crore-credit programme, a good number of genuine farmers are being deprived of receiving loans, the farmers in different regions of the district told UNB correspondent. They alleged that some corrupt bank officials taking bribes are sanctioning loans among those who are not genuine farmers. Altaf Hossain, a potato grower of Char Kewar, told this correspondent that he borrowed money from a moneylender at a high rate of interest after he was deprived of getting loans from the banks. The farmer took the loan mortgaging the gold ornaments of his wife. Not only Hossain, a number of farmers took loans from the moneylenders to cultivate potato after mortgaging cows, goats, ornaments or even house. Rab Mia, of Mollakandi village, said he borrowed Tk 20,000 as advance from a moneylender to cultivate potato. But he will have to sell potato to him at Tk 140 per maund whatever the price of potato is in the market. Although the farmers have been facing serious problems in potato cultivation, they expect a bumper harvest in the current season. When contacted, DC Nurul Haq said the government has taken all possible steps to provide fertiliser, seeds and loans among the farmers. However, he admitted irregularities in some sectors, adding that he was trying to resolve the problems faced by the farmers. |