Farmers battle fertilizer scarcity

DHENKANAL: Insufficient supply of fertilizers is causing a lot of worry to farmers in Dhenkanal. While thousands of paddy farmers in the district are awaiting fertilizer supply after transplantation of paddy seedlings, rampant black marketing of fertilizers has added to their woes.
According to official sources, as many as 1.80 lakh famers, including 1.60 lakh paddy farmers, are cultivating paddy and vegetables on 183,841 hectres of land in the district.The district is supposed to receive 1000 mt tons of DAP and 1750 mt tons of complex fertilizers by the end of July but dearth of supply from the state government has left thousands of farmers stranded. Meanwhile, some wholesellers and retailers have started hoarding fertilizer, lack of law enforcement encouraging the hoarders to exploit the scarcity and make a killing, sources said.
The district has received only 416 metric ton of DAP as against the requirement of 1000 metric tons and 272 metric ton of complex fertilizer against the need of 1750 metric tons. The agricultural administration has distributed the fertilizer packets to only a few primary agriculture co-operative societies (PACS), the office of the deputy director of agriculture sending fertilizers packets to only 16 instead of 80 PACS, sources said.
"I am moving from pillar to post to get DAP and MOP, but to no avail. Retailers are refusing to sell saying they don't have stocks," said Niranjan Pati, a farmer of Khankira village in Gondia block. Another farmer, Keshab Singh, said he bought one packet of DAP at Rs 200 more than the actual price in Kamakshyanagar.
Deputy director of agriculture Laxmidhar Behera admitted to the sale of fertilizers in the black market and scant supply of DAP in authorized centres, claiming he has delicensed some fertilizer retailers in Gondia and other subdivisions for black marketing. "We are in touch with state authorities for speedy supply of fertilizer, especially DAP and complex fertilizers," Behera said.