Bundled fertiliser sales spark outcry by farmers in Sirsa

Farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE) staged a protest in Sirsa on Friday, alleging black marketing and forced bundling of fertilisers like DAP and urea with unrelated products. A delegation led by BKE state president Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh submitted a complaint to the Deputy Director of Agriculture, demanding immediate intervention.

Selja seeks govt intervention

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Member of Parliament from Sirsa, Kumari Selja, has raised concerns about the ongoing crisis faced by farmers in Haryana due to a shortage of key fertilisers like DAP and urea. She has urged the government to intervene immediately to ensure timely availability of these inputs, which are critical for crop sowing. The shortage is particularly affecting districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, and Kaithal, where farmers are struggling to plant crops despite favourable post-rain conditions.

Aulakh claimed that fertiliser supplied by IFFCO to cooperative centres is being sold only on the condition that farmers also purchase non-essential items such as tea packets, nano urea, nano DAP and a product named ‘Sagarika’. “These items are being forced on farmers without consent. Officials are allowing exploitation of farmers in broad daylight,” Aulakh alleged, accusing the Agriculture Department of turning a blind eye due to corruption.

Raising concerns about the supply chain of “Sagarika,” Aulakh cited a truck offloaded at IFFCO’s Sirsa centre carrying over 40,000 kg of the product. “The truck had mismatched number plates — one from Ajmer and another unidentified. It was reportedly loaded in Rajasthan, but the packaging claimed it was manufactured in Delhi and billed from Gujarat,” he said, adding that the inconsistencies raise doubts about transparency and quality.

He demanded an immediate halt to the sale of “Sagarika” in the region and stringent action against black marketing and forced bundling at all fertiliser distribution points — whether government-run, private or cooperative.

Dr Sukhdev Kamboj, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Sirsa, confirmed receipt of the complaint. He said mandi-wise inspections have been ordered, and any violations will be dealt with strictly. “We’ve also asked the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies to investigate issues related to product tagging,” he said. On “Sagarika,” Dr Kamboj informed that a committee has been constituted to probe the matter and appropriate action will be taken based on its findings.