In Jhajjar, growers forced to buy nano urea along with five bags of fertiliser

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Jhajjar, December 15

Farmers are being reportedly forced into buying a 500 ml bottle of nano urea (liquid) against the purchase of five bags of urea from a Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendra, a government centre, here.

Nano urea is an alternative to conventional urea. “It increases crop productivity and reduces the state’s dependence on urea imports. Moreover, one 500 ml bottle of nano urea substitutes one bag of urea,” an official says.

Farmers, however, think otherwise. Its benefits notwithstanding, nano urea ramps up the input cost as farmers have to hire labourers to spray the liquid fertiliser on crops, they say.

A 500 ml bottle of nano urea costs Rs 225, while a 45-kg bag of urea is available for Rs 266. In other words, a farmer spending Rs 1,330 for five bags of urea will have to sell out Rs 225 more for a bottle of nano urea. Add labour wages to this and the input cost rises — burdening small and marginal farmers.

Manoj, a farmer from Silani village, said: “To avoid buying nano urea, farmers purchase not more than four bags at any given time.”

This is not the case for every farmer. Rakesh said, “As urea is in short supply, farmers have no option, but to buy five or more bags ending up purchasing a bottle of nano urea.”

Preet Singh, a leader of the All India Kisan Sabha, said farmers, not only in Jhajjar, but also in Rohtak, were being forced into purchasing the liquid fertiliser.

“The forcible purchase of nano urea is not only putting an extra financial burden on farmers, but also causing resentment among them. The Kisan Sabha demands that the state government must put an end to this practice immediately,” he added.

Mahabir Singh, Deputy Director (Agriculture), however, claimed no farmer was being forced to buy nano urea. They were being encouraged to use nano urea, he said. “The Jhajjar Agriculture Department has not received any complaint about the forcible sale of nano urea in the district,” he added.

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