Shajapur/ Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): Amid an ongoing shortage of fertilisers ahead of the sowing season, scores of farmers in the Shajapur and Ratlam districts of Madhya Pradesh are spending long hours in front of cooperative societies anticipating to get sufficient fertilisers for their fields.
In Shajapur, hundreds of farmers claimed that they are running from pillar to post for the last eight days to get fertilisers, but all in vain.
On the other hand, officials of the agriculture department denied any shortage of fertilisers in the district saying that they had sufficient stock to fulfil the need of every farmer.
Farmers claimed that though the department claimed sufficient availability of fertiliser in the district, in reality, only half of the demand and requirement of fertilisers is being given to the farmers.
Be it urea or di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), the shortage can be seen in many places. The fertiliser crisis has increased the concern of the farmers for the preparation of sowing.
Experts in the district claimed that this year the acreage under the Rabi crop is likely to increase due to the good rainfall. In such a situation, the demand for DAP, NPA and urea is also set to increase.
Meanwhile, KC Yadav, deputy director of the Agriculture Department said sufficient urea, DAP and NPA are available across the district. Rakes are coming as per requirement.
At present 7,000 metric tonnes of urea is available in the district for the month of October.
Apart from this, 2,000 metric tonnes of DAP and 3,500 metric tonnes of NPA are available, which are to be given to the farmers, but the farmers are not getting even half of their demand and requirement before sowing.
Although DAP is needed now, farmers are facing problems for eight days at the sales centre located at MP Agro at Tanki intersection of Shajapur. Since this morning, farmers have had to queue up, including women.
The requirement of urea will be 10 to 15 days after sowing and the farmers are busy preparing for sowing that will start as soon as the weather turns cold.
Earlier, on Wednesday during the review meeting of fertiliser distribution work in the state, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed the concerned departments that farmers' complaints should not be received regarding the non-availability of fertilisers. Despite this, due to the distribution system and limited selling points, there is a tussle among the farmers regarding fertilisers.
Farmers stand for long hours for fertilisers
In Ratlam, many cooperative societies and distribution centres face a shortage of fertilisers. Farmers from different villages have been standing in queues since morning at the fertiliser distribution centre located in Dilip Nagar, Ratlam. Only 100 to 150 farmers get the fertilisers every day and the others have to return empty-handed.
Farmers claimed that after waiting in line for hours, they are getting only two bags of urea for 5 bighas of land.
The farmers, who had reached here from 30 to 40 km away to get fertiliser, say that they do not have their account in the cooperative society. Due to this, they have to buy urea from the market at high prices or they have to take a limited quantity of urea fertiliser by standing in line for hours. The farmers are demanding that the government should set up fertiliser sales centres in the societies so that farmers do not have to come so far to buy the fertiliser.
