No urea shortage, private sellers triggering panic purchase: Jind DC

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jind, December 18

Even as protests by farmers against urea shortage continued in Jind, official figures revealed a narrow gap between demand and supply and pointed at adequate fertiliser stock. Artificial shortage, allegedly created by private sellers, appears to have triggered panic buying among farmers.

As per the Agriculture Department, the district received 5,000 MT urea in October against the demand of a similar figure. In November, the district received 17,000 MT against the demand of 20,000 MT. The shortage of 3,000 MT from November has been compensated. Till date, the district has received 14,000 MT urea against estimated demand of 22,000 MT.

“Since private sellers control 65 per cent of total sale and the remaining 35 per cent is by government agencies, the former are pressing the panic button by spreading rumors and causing panic purchases. Urea can be used between the months of October and March. This year, an artificial shortage has created panic among farmers,” said RP Sihag, deputy director of the Agriculture Department.

Figures procured from Hafed, the largest apex cooperative federation of Haryana, and the Jind Deputy Commissioner’s office show there are eight societies of Hafed in Jind district. These are located in Jind city, Uchana, Narwana, Safidon, Julana and Pillukhera and sell urea directly to farmers. There are around 140 Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) selling points. There are also 207 private sellers in the district, who control 65 per cent of urea sale, while the remaining 35 per cent is in the hands of government officers.

“We have not received the required quantity of urea. There is no supply,” said Ram Kishan, a farmer sitting in the grain market.

Out of the 35 per cent urea sold by the government, 20 per cent is assigned to Hafed and remaining 15 is in the hands of PACS and its selling points.

Hafed has a target of selling 20,000 MT urea between October and March as against total demand of 80,000 MT in Jind district. It has already sold 14,000 MT till Wednesday evening and was waiting for more stock. Authorities expect to sell more urea than their set target to stop panic purchase.

“We need 16 lakh bags of urea for 2.15 lakh hectares under wheat cultivation in the district. We have received 8 lakh bags and more are on the way. Some private players appear to have pressed the panic button, but we are maintaining a vigil and checking urea sale every evening. We are trying to stop this panic purchase,” said Jind DC Ajit Balaji Joshi.