A report from Bogra gives a disquieting picture of farmers in desperate need of urea queuing up for it. They are not getting even 20 per cent of their total requirement of urea during this Aus cultivation season.

The local urea dealers in Bogra have put the blame on inadequate supply of the fertiliser. It is precisely here that a glaring gap between what has been claimed by the decision-makers and the fertiliser dealers' version of the stock position surfaces. The decision-makers have always claimed that there is adequate stock of urea. But the dealers have a different story to tell. Clearly, there is lack of coordination between the ministries of agriculture and industry on the one hand, and between the BADC and the dealers on the other. Distribution system is obviously not geared up to meeting the farmers' requirements.

Production of urea can be boosted through efficient management of the existing factories and, if necessary, setting up of some new ones. But scarcity results from poor planning, lack of coordination between relevant government agencies, inaccurate assessment of farmers' needs, not timely availability of fertiliser at the dealers' end and lack of monitoring of the market behaviour, especially speculative and manipulative trading activities.

If "crisis" is the term that the decision-makers have a dislike for, then they must streamline the distribution mechanism from which crisis stems. The Nachole incident should have awakened the agencies concerned to the need for maintaining a steady supply of fertilisers.

So, the government agencies have to do something more than being apparently caught unawares and then claiming that stocks are sufficient and things are under control. The ground situation speaks otherwise, calling for a comprehensive action plan to meet the demands of the farmers.