Farmers fume as agri dept fails to distribute seeds on time

Haveri: Hundreds of farmers rushed to Raith Samparka Kendra in front of assistant director of agriculture’s office, on Thursday and Friday to collect sowing seeds as the monsoon season began, but delays in the distribution of soybean and groundnut seeds led to long queues, tension and police intervention.

Farmers stood in line from early morning and said they waited from 6am, but the lack of proper arrangements resulted in pushing and shoving at the site. Police arrived as the situation became tense. Farmers expressed anger against the agriculture department, saying sowing should have started a week ago, but the department failed to distribute seeds on time.

They also expressed dissatisfaction with the distribution of urea fertiliser after officials stated that only one bag of urea per acre would be provided. Farmers said more fertilisers would be needed if the rains increased, crops would not grow properly. Farmers also accused that unnecessary items were being linked during fertilisers purchase with shopkeepers forcing them to buy other items.

Subsidised seeds were supplied at the Raitha Sampark Kendras in Karjagi, Haveri, Guttal, Negalur, Hosaritti, and Marol.

The taluk had a stock of 950 quintals of soybean, 215.36 quintals of maize, 114.90 quintals of pigeon pea, 9.20 quintals of green gram, and 101.10 quintals of groundnut. There was also a stock of 1,663 metric tons of urea, 789 metric tons of DAP, 130 tons of MOP, 2,688 tons of NPK, and 138 tons of SSP fertilisers.

The assistant director of agriculture, Veerabhadrappa BH, stated that seed and fertiliser stocks will be supplied in phases according to farmers’ demands.