Fertiliser crisis hits 4 Sirsa villages in Haryana as supply remains suspended
Farmers from four villages linked to the Alikan Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) in the Dabwali area have been struggling to get fertilisers for nearly three years, forcing them to travel to the Dabwali mandi or buy DAP and urea from private dealers at higher prices.
Despite having a fertiliser sale centre at the village, supplies have remained suspended since 2023. The farmers allege they are paying the price for an alleged embezzlement by the then PACS manager.
According to officials, the former manager allegedly failed to deposit payments after procuring fertilisers on credit from HAFED, leaving dues of around Rs 56 lakh. Following the default, HAFED stopped supplying fertilisers and has now made it clear that future supplies would be made only against advance payment.
The PACS is reportedly running at a loss of nearly Rs 12 crore as of June 30, making advance payment impossible and leaving the farmers without timely access to fertilisers.
Ironically, while the farmers are unable to get DAP and urea, bio-fertilisers and other products worth Rs 12-15 lakh have been lying unused in the Alikan and Lakhuana warehouses for years. The farmers alleged that unnecessary fertilisers were purchased, causing financial losses to the cooperative.
Current PACS manager Virender Bishnoi said he had sought around 4,000 bags of fertiliser after taking charge, but HAFED refused supply because of the outstanding dues. HAFED storekeeper Sanjay Mehta confirmed that supplies would resume only after the pending payments were cleared, adding that the matter was under investigation.
Farmer Lakhwinder Singh of Alikan said no DAP or urea had reached the village since 2023. Vakil Singh Brar of Maujgarh demanded recovery from those responsible for the unnecessary purchases, while Hanspal Singh of Masitan said the farmers were being forced to buy fertilisers from private shops at higher rates and urged the government to restore village-level supplies.
