THE Middle East war has led to prices of fertilisers rising in Thailand with the situation exacerbated by a shortage of urea and this leading to farmers stockpiling as they fear further price hikes, Amarin TV said today (March 30).
Ms. Pranee Banluesap, owner of a fertiliser and agricultural equipment store in Buriram’s Nang Rong district, said all brands of fertilisers have increased their prices by 50 baht a bag while urea, a key fertiliser component, is currently in short supply.
Normally farmers purchase various chemical fertilisers during the rice-growing season in June or July. However, after the 50 baht per bag price hike, many farmers decided to stockpile fertilisers, averaging 5-10 bags each, fearing that if the war does not end soon, coupled with rising fuel prices, fertiliser prices will rise further.
“Before the war, the store was selling goods normally. But after the crisis, prices of fertilisers, especially urea and various chemical fertilisers, have continuously increased,” she said.
The store has had to adjust prices according to the increased costs from the factory. For example, Crown and Rabbit brand fertilisers have increased from 1,050 baht to 1,100 baht per bag while Top One brand has jumped from 900 baht to 950 baht per bag. Urea fertiliser is currently in short supply and unavailable.
In the event that urea, which is a base fertiliser, is difficult to purchase, the store has advised farmers to switch to 15-15-15 fertiliser (balanced formula) as a substitute, as it can be used to care for crops from planting to harvesting.
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Fertilisers for sale at Ms. Pranee Banluesap’s shop. Photos – Amarin TV
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