Sundargarh Farmers Face Fertilizer Shortages Despite Ample Stocks
Farmers in Sundargarh face long queues for urea and DAP despite adequate district stocks.
Farmers in Odisha's rain-fed Sundargarh district are enduring long queues to purchase urea and DAP fertilizers despite the district having adequate stock levels. Chaotic scenes were witnessed outside the Regional Cooperative Marketing Society (RCMS) in Sundargarh town on Tuesday as paddy farmers waited to secure the essential agricultural inputs for the kharif crop season.
In-charge Chief District Agriculture Officer G Jayan stated that the shortage of DAP is a nationwide phenomenon and Sundargarh is no exception. While the district has adequate stocks of other fertilizers, officials attribute the queues to supply restrictions. RCMS President Bimal Patel explained that to streamline supply, only 60 registered farmers are provided with a 50 kg bag of DAP and one nano urea packet daily.
According to official data, the district’s total requirement for the ongoing kharif season is approximately 25,565 tonnes. This includes 11,700 tonnes of urea, 6,775 tonnes of DAP, 3,000 tonnes of MOP, 4,000 tonnes of NPKS, and 90 tonnes of SSP. As of Tuesday, available stocks stood at 5,845 tonnes of urea, 1,794 tonnes of DAP, 380 tonnes of MOP, 2,131 tonnes of NPKS, and 124 tonnes of SSP. So far, 5,055 tonnes of urea, 2,607 tonnes of DAP, 612 tonnes of MOP, 2,781 tonnes of NPKS, and 69 tonnes of SSP have been distributed.
According to sources, 60 per cent of Sundargarh’s total fertiliser requirement is distributed through MARKFED, which supplies different fertilisers to 44 large and multi-purpose cooperative societies. The rest 40 per cent of fertiliser requirement is met by three sale points of RCMS, two of OAIC and around 230 authorised private retailers. Following allegations of private retailers creating artificial shortage, surprise checks were carried out but no wrongdoing could be established. Regulation of supply could be one of the reasons behind farmers complaining about the issue of fertiliser availability, they added.
G Jayan confirmed that instructions have been issued to MARKFED to send indents for 500 tonnes of complex fertilizers as a replacement for DAP. He noted that around 200 tonnes of complex fertilizers are expected to arrive soon. Officials added that regulation of supply could be a contributing factor to the complaints regarding availability.
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Why are farmers facing shortages despite ample stocks?
Officials attribute the shortages to supply restrictions and a nationwide phenomenon affecting DAP availability.
What is the daily limit for DAP distribution?
RCMS President Bimal Patel stated that only 60 registered farmers receive 50 kg of DAP and one nano urea packet daily.
What is the total fertilizer requirement for Sundargarh?
The district requires approximately 25,565 tonnes of fertilizers for the ongoing kharif season.
Who manages the fertilizer supply in the district?
MARKFED distributes 60% of the requirement through 44 cooperative societies, while the remaining 40% is met by RCMS, OAIC, and private retailers.
Is the DAP shortage specific to Sundargarh?
In-charge CDAO G Jayan stated that the DAP shortage is a nationwide phenomenon and Sundargarh is no exception.
Ansuya Minz
Senior District Correspondent, Sundargarh
Ansuya Minz has covered Sundargarh district for six years, reporting on the steel belt's industry, tribal welfare policy, and the Rourkela sports ecosystem. She is based in Rourkela.
View all articles by Ansuya →
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