Kaladan News

Dated: Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Tk One Crore of Fertilizer Seized by Bangladesh Navy En-route to Burma

Teknaf, March 16: On March13, 2005, members of Bangladesh Navy during their regular anti-smuggling drive seized about 7,700 sacks of fertilizer worth about Taka one crore while two engine boats en-route from Chittagong to Burma, according to Ali, our correspondent from Teknaf.

Acting on a tip of, naval personnel challenged the boats carrying the fertilizer near Saint’s Martin’s Island and they chased the smuggling boats and seized all of them.These are locally produced urea fertilizers and were seized from the Bay of Bengal near Saint Martin’s Island of Cox’s Bazar District while en- route to Burma, Ali further added.

The fertilizer was being smuggled by two boats with a 22- crew. The Navy men also seized the engine boats used in the smuggling and arrested all the people in this connection.

Navy detained the engine boats. Afterwards, the boats have been brought to Chittagong town. There all the goods were handed over to the custom authorities, said a fertilizer trader from Chittagong.

Hit hard by unfavorable weather in 2004, the local fertilizer production is unlikely not to meet farmers need due to smuggling to neighboring country, Burma, said Abul Khasim, a fertilizer trader from Ukhiya Union.

Farmers of Burma depends on the fertilizer of Bangladesh because of the rate of the fertilizer is very high there. So, the smugglers, hoping to get high price in Burma, they smuggled fertilizer to Burma.

According to an analyst, since last two months, over 100,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizers are being smuggled into Burma from Bangladesh.

According to agriculture ministry source, the domestic demand for fertilizer was 26, 50,000 metric tons in fiscal year and the demand for this fiscal year has been estimated at 20,00,000 metric tons. The deficit fertilizer has been imported from foreign countries.

We sell at the rate of Tk 4,800 per one metric ton while it cost Tk 5,500/- to produce one ton of fertilizer from industry. In open market, the traders sell Tk 200 to 250 per 50kg bag, the ministry continued.

A trader said that there are six fertilizer-producing factories in Bangladesh, which do not cover to meet the domestic demand. Since the Burma government production of fertilizer has not been able to cover the domestic demands, the sea-smuggling trade of fertilizer from Bangladesh is blooming. Therefore, Bangladeshi farmers are also facing short supply of fertilizer.

Since last two months, about 13,000 bags of chemical fertilizer were seized worth about Taka 10,060,000/-and 32 persons were also arrested, according to Saiful Islam, a spokesman of agricultural ministry. ##

(NB: 1 US$= Taka 62.6922)

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