Govt clears 7.7 lakh tonnes of fertiliser imports in 39 days to safeguard supply

In a concerted drive to secure agricultural stocks ahead of the crucial Boro and Rabi cropping seasons, the government has cleared the import of approximately 7.7 lakh tonnes of fertiliser over the past 39 days.

The latest tranche was approved on Wednesday at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP), chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury at the Bangladesh Secretariat. 

The committee greenlit proposals to import 1,10,000 tonnes of fertiliser from Belarus, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, comprising 30,000 tonnes of muriate of potash (MOP), 40,000 tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP), and 40,000 tonnes of urea.

Under a Ministry of Agriculture proposal, 30,000 tonnes of MOP will be procured from Belarus via M/S Sufla Trading Corporation under a private-sector arrangement. Priced at $398.97 per tonne, the consignment totals $11.97 million (approx. Tk147.20 crore at an exchange rate of Tk122.92 per dollar).

Additionally, the committee approved a G2G import of 40,000 tonnes of DAP from Morocco’s OCP Nutricrops SA through the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC). At $889.33 per tonne, this outlay amounts to Tk439.86 crore. 

On a proposal from the Ministry of Industries, a further 40,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea will be sourced from Saudi Arabia’s SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company for FY2026–27 at $391.66 per tonne, costing Tk193.72 crore.

Department of Agricultural Extension Director General Md Abdur Rahim noted that demand will surge sharply with the onset of the Rabi season in October, alongside ongoing requirements for the Aman crop.

Between 1 August and 9 September, the CCGP approved five major procurement packages spanning urea, DAP, MOP, and triple superphosphate (TSP) from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Russia, Canada, Belarus, and domestic producer KAFCO.

Prior to Wednesday’s clearance, the CCGP approved 1,10,000 tonnes on 12 August (Tk902.73 crore) and 1,15,000 tonnes on 19 August (Tk564.24 crore). The largest single package came on 24 August, when 3,65,000 tonnes worth Tk2,562 crore were sanctioned. A further 70,000 tonnes worth Tk688.79 crore received approval on 2 September.

This series of approvals brings the total procurement cleared over the 39-day span to nearly 7,70,000 tonnes, underpinning national food security objectives.