DAP shortage upsets rabi-sowing plans in Haryana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 17

Panic has gripped farmers across Haryana with severe shortage of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, the basic nutrient for crops, threatening to upset their plans for the sowing of the Rabi crops, especially wheat and mustard.

Plans upset

I have already prepared the fields for the sowing of mustard. These will be ready for the sowing of wheat in the first week of November. However, the inadequate availability of DAP has upset my plans for sowing of rabi crops. Ram Niwas, farmer from Narnaund

Ensure proper supply, Khattar tells DCs

Take immediate steps for the adequate supply of fertilisers, including DAP, to the farmers. Manohar Lal Khattar, CM

Long queues of farmers wanting to buy DAP have been reported outside the offices of primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) and other dealers in several districts, including Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Rewari, Mahendragarh, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani and Hisar, for the past few days.

With the onset of the rabi season, the demand for urea, DAP and other fertilisers has risen. However, the shortage of the fertilisers, reportedly due to less import in the wake of spurt in global prices, has upset farmers.

Ram Niwas, a farmer from Narnaund (Hisar), said he was finding it difficult meet his requirements of DAP as sufficient stocks were not available in the market. “I have prepared the fields for the sowing of mustard, while these would be ready for the sowing of wheat in the first week of November. However, the inadequate availability of DAP has upset my plans for the sowing of the rabi crops,” he lamented. Farmers argued that since DAP had to be sprinkled at the time of the sowing of rabi crops, any delay in its supply could have adverse impact on sowing of the crops.

Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that farmers were forced to suffer as the Central and state governments had failed to make adequate provisions for the supply the fertiliser.

Sources said the DAP requirement for the rabi season in Haryana was pegged at around 2 lakh metric tons, while the supply so far had been about one-third of the demand. The farmers are supplied the fertilisers through about 700 PACS and other dealers.