Govt to reform fertiliser distribution system for ensuring smooth supply

The caretaker government is planning to reform the fertiliser distribution system to ensure its smooth supply.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said this while speaking at the special edition of BBC Bangladesh Sanglap titled "Rural Economy" held at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.
"Fertiliser marketing will be made open so that farmers can purchase their required fertiliser directly from the market," said the adviser.
Zillur, also the education adviser, said the government would take initiatives to ensure that the subsidies given in fertiliser directly reach the target producers, especially small and poor cultivators.
President of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Bangladesh Agro-processors' Association President Maj Gen (retd) Amzad Khan Chowdhury and Executive Director of Ubinig Farida Akhtar also took part in the talks as panellists.
The BBC's guest presenter Shykh Seraj, director of Channel i, moderated the event. The BBC Bangla Service in conjunction with the BBC World Service Trust organised the event.
Zillur said fertiliser distribution will be better in the next season. Mentioning that production of IRRI was badly hampered by the gas crisis, the adviser said the government is expecting higher boro production.
BEA President Kholiquzzaman said the fertiliser crisis deteriorated since the government did not take proper measurers to resolve the problem.
Maj Gen (retd) Amzad suggested the government give the private sector a free hand in distributing fertiliser and brings in large companies in the process.
Responding to a query, the adviser said the government is also trying to formulate specific policy on organic fertiliser to make its use large-scale.
Mentioning that undeveloped market system is the main obstacle to progress of rural economy, Zillur stressed the need for improving it.
Farida Akhtar said high interest rate of microcredit has been destroying the rural economy.
Amzad Khan demanded that the interest rate be lowered while Kholiquzzaman said microcredit schemes must be brought under a proper system.
The adviser, however, said microcredit has been contributing a lot to the rural economy.