Farmers fume over fertiliser shortage for rabi crops: Complain of poor coordination between government departments

Farmers fume over fertiliser shortage for rabi crops Complain of poor coordination between government departmentsArchit Watts/TNS

Jammu, November 2
Farmers across the Jammu region are agitated over the shortage of fertilisers for rabi crops. As the farmers have started sowing wheat in some areas, the shortage of fertilisers is creating problems for them.

Various farmers’ associations have started holding meetings to chalk out strategies to deal with the situation. “Sown wheat, potato and other vegetable crops require fertilisers, which are not available in the market. The government should take some steps to provide fertilisers or, otherwise, the farmers will have to adopt some forceful method,” said Tejinder Singh, a progressive farmer and leader of a farmers’ association.

Officials of the Agriculture Department also admitted that there were problems in the timely supply of fertilisers. “We are making sufficient arrangements for the easy availability of fertilisers, but some dealers are indulging in hoarding, creating shortage in some areas,” said Ajay Khajuria, Director, Agriculture Department.

Khajuria added, “We have told the dealers to make fertilisers available to the farmers and warned them that all those found indulging in hoarding would be dealt with strictly. They have also been directed to sell fertilisers at the prices printed on the bags.”

He said the department had already started a drive in this regard and one wholesaler in the Bishnah block had been found indulging in hoarding of fertilisers.

However, the farmers complained of lack of coordination between various departments. “The sowing season has started but the departments concerned are simply saying the problem of the shortage of fertilisers will be resolved in a few days. Most of the farmers in the kandi areas have sown the wheat crop, which requires fertilisers immediately and their shortage will effect the crop yield,” said Sohan Singh, a farmer in Kathua district.

According to a fresh survey conducted by the Agriculture Department, 15,000 tonnes of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) and 25,000 tonnes of urea are required for the current rabi season in the Jammu region.