Burmese Agricultural Fertilizer needs met with smuggling from Bangladesh

Dhaka, March 7: Since the Burmese government’s production of agricultural fertilizers has not been able to cover the domestic demand, the sea-smuggling trade of fertilizer from Bangladesh is thriving.

Fertilizer is reported to be the most profitable item, fetching about two hundred percent profit.

“As far as I know, exporting fertilizer to Burma is the best business at the moment. Bangladesh produces a sack of sulphur, priced at 280 Taka, but it will cost at least 10,000 kyat ( equivalent to 650 Taka) in Burma. Even if you pay tax to the government and officials, it still profits a lot” says a fertilizer trader from Cox’s Bazar.

The Burmese junta just turns a blind eye to the smuggling of fertilizer in order to fill the demand and supply gap.

However, the Bangladeshi government is trying to stop the smuggling by arresting the smugglers and confiscating the boats, since the smuggling leaves Bangladesh with higher prices for fertilizer. High quality TSP fertilizer that used to sell for 690 Taka in Bangladesh, now costs 800 Taka.

Burma as a whole needs about 10 million tons of fertilizer a year; the rice industry alone uses 2 million tons, according to an agricultural study.#