No basis for claims of fertiliser shortage: state minister

There is no basis for claims of a severe fertiliser shortage, disruption to farming or a possible food shortage in the country, State Minister for Commerce Shariful Islam told Parliament on Wednesday.

He said the government has maintained adequate production, imports and stocks to ensure uninterrupted fertiliser supplies to farmers.

Replying to a public-importance notice raised under Rule 68, on behalf of the Ministry of Industries, the state minister said Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) is responsible for producing, importing, transporting and storing fertiliser and distributing it to farmers through dealers according to demand from the Ministry of Agriculture.

So far in the 2026-27 fiscal year, the country has produced 208,799 metric tonnes of urea and imported 117,899 metric tonnes, he said. A total of 530,925 metric tonnes has already been distributed across the country, while 409,000 metric tonnes remain in stock.

Production and imports will continue to ensure adequate supplies during the upcoming peak and mini-peak farming seasons, Shariful said.

Of the seven fertiliser factories under BCIC, five produce urea, one produces TSP and one produces DAP. Production is currently normal at Ghorashal-Polash Fertiliser and Shahjalal Fertiliser Company in Sylhet.

Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd is also nearing the final stage of restarting operations after receiving gas supplies and is expected to resume full production soon. Production at Jamuna Fertiliser, Fertiliser and Chemical Company, and the TSP and DAP plants remains suspended due to raw material and gas supply issues.

The government has set production targets of 88,000 metric tonnes of urea in September and 113,000 metric tonnes in October, he said.

In the 2025-26 fiscal year, Bangladesh produced more than 1.161 million metric tonnes of urea, 68,000 metric tonnes of TSP and 82,000 metric tonnes of DAP. It also imported 1.407 million metric tonnes of urea and distributed more than 2.595 million metric tonnes nationwide.

Shariful said the data showed there was no reason for concern over fertiliser supplies and urged that no fear be created among farmers.

He also said the government has launched legal procedures to cancel the dealerships of some dealers appointed during the previous 17-year government and has issued a circular for appointing new fertiliser dealers.

The government is conducting nationwide monitoring and taking action against illegal stockpiling and smuggling of fertiliser, including seizures, sealing of warehouses and arrests, he said.

The state minister said attempts to smuggle fertiliser across the border indicated that its price in Bangladesh was lower than in neighbouring countries.

He said the government was working to address management problems in fertiliser distribution and strengthen the agricultural sector.

sks