Canada will continue to provide potassium fertiliser: Razzaque

Canada has assured that it will continue selling potassium fertiliser to Bangladesh, Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said on Thursday.

“Due to the Russia-Ukraine war and sanctions imposed last year, there was an uncertainty over potassium fertiliser prices globally,” he said while exchanging views with reporters after a meeting with the delegation of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) at the Secretariat.

“We could not buy potassium fertiliser from Belarus. At that time, with the efforts of the government, Canada provided us with 5 lakh tonnes of potassium fertiliser on an emergency basis. As a result, there was no shortage of fertiliser in the Rabi season and the on-going Boro season,” the minister added.

A delegation of the CCC, led by High Commissioner for Canada in Bangladesh Lilly Nicholls, is visiting Bangladesh to boost trade ties between the two countries.

In the meeting, the Canadian trade delegation requested that the import duty on canola oil from Canada be made equivalent to the import duty on soybean and palm oil. At present, the import duty on canola oil is double that of soybean and palm oil, they said.

The delegation also discussed various issues related to mutual interests, including enhancing cooperation in the agriculture sector, and import of vegetables from Bangladesh.