Bathinda farmers worried over fertiliser scarcity

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 2

As farmers are set to sow wheat, they are worried over the shortage of fertilisers in the south-western Malwa region of the state.

As per the information available on the Urvarak portal of the Centre, the fertiliser quantity available in the region is quite less than the requirement of farmers. In Bathinda district, the total requirement of urea is 79,750 MT whereas total sale from POS is 6,765 MT. The closing stock on November 1 was 21,384 MT. Similarly, the requirement of DAP is 37, 905 MT, total sale from POS so far is 10,461 MT and the closing stock on Monday was 2,763 MT in the district.

In Mansa district, the seasonal requirement of urea is 65,250 MT whereas the total sale from POS is 5,539 MT and closing stock till Monday was 14,961 MT. The requirement of DAP in the district is 24,180 MT, its total sale so far is 7,555 MT and the closing stock was 2,789 MT on November 1.

Both urea and DAP are crucial fertilisers required for wheat, which is grown over 35 acres on Punjab. Apart from these, there is shortage of other fertilisers such as muriate of potash (MOP), nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and sulphur.

Farmers said shortage of fertilisers was a serious concern as private dealers were either fleecing them or forcing them to buy additional fertilisers along with DAP.

Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Bathinda, said, “There is shortage of fertilisers due to which farmers are in panic and have started buying DAP and urea from cooperative societies and traders in whatever quantity they are getting.”

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