The Bangladesh Sramik Kalyan Federation and Bangladesh Krishijebi Sramik Union sharply denounced and protested the price increase of Tk 5 per kg of fertilizer.
The acting president of the Sramik Kalyan Federation, Professor Harunur Rashid Khan, and general secretary Advocate Atiqur Rahman and Krishijivi Sramik Union president Golam Rabbani and general secretary Alamgir Hasan Raju, stated today in a joint statement that the current government does not support farmers. The country has become import-dependent and agricultural input prices have increased since they took office.
According to the leaders, the government is not reliable. The Minister of Agriculture stated on April 3 that there are no plans to raise fertilizer prices. The Ministry of Agriculture raised the cost of urea, DAP, TSP, and MOP fertilizers by Tk 5 per kilogram after a week. which is absurd beyond belief. This government decision serves both the nation’s and the farmers’ interests.
The government had increased the price of fertilizer by Tk 6 in August last year. Seed, diesel, and agricultural input costs have gradually gone up. The persistent rise in the cost of agricultural inputs is hurting farmers. Their enthusiasm for farming is waning. Conversely, if farmers stop planting crops, the nation will become dependent on imports. The economy of the nation will implode the moment it starts to rely too much on imports. The citizens of the nation will suffer as a result. Thus, I demand that the government raise the government’s subsidy to the agricultural sector and promptly lower the price of all agricultural inputs, including fertilizers.
Farmers are not receiving a fair price for their produce. A group of dishonest traders who package their sugarcane are defrauding the farmers. The farmers suffer greatly as a result every year. To ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their produce, the government should implement effective measures. It is necessary to dismantle black market syndicates. The government ought to purchase paddy and rice directly from farmers, among other agricultural products. Farmers should have cooperative markets set up in districts and upazila cities. The nation should build a sufficient number of cold storage facilities and food warehouses.
The government has made life for the nation’s citizens unbearably difficult under the guise of a global crisis. The cost of everyday essentials has increased dramatically today. The prices of everything on the market are higher than what working people can afford. The government promises to make adjustments if prices decline, even as it raises them. That combination has been discontinued. putting pressure on the government to act immediately to lower the cost of essentials so that working people can afford them.
