Shortage of DAP threatens to upset farmers’ Rabi crops sowing plans in Haryana

Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 17

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

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 in the past few days.

With the onset of the Rabi season, the demand for urea, DAP and other fertilizers, which are basic nutrients for Rabi crops, has risen.

However, shortage of the fertilizers reportedly due to less import in the wake of spurt in global prices has spread panic among the farmers.

Ram Niwas, a farmer from Narnaund (Hisar), said he was finding it difficult to meet his requirements of DAP as sufficient stocks were not available in the market.

“I have already prepared the fields for 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 sowing of Rabi crops,” he lamented.

Farmers argued that since DAP had to be sprinkled at the time of sowing of Rabi crops any delay in its supply could have adverse impact on sowing of the crops.

Former Chief Minister 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 of DAP fertilizer.

Sources said the DAP requirement for 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 fertilizers through about 700 PACS and other dealers.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar yesterday directed the DCs to take immediate steps for adequate supply of fertilizers, including DAP, to the farmers.