Tardy urea distribution leads to shortage in some dists, overuse in others

The overconsumption of urea fertiliser in some districts and shortage in other regions indicates an uneven supply of fertilisers in the state.

While districts like Yamunanagar, Jind, Sonepat, and Faridabad have resorted to the overuse of the urea, districts including Bhiwani and Panchkula were supplied less than the demand, creating shortage of fertilisers for farmers.

During the ongoing rabi season, the farmers have been spraying the urea on wheat, mustard and other crops. However, after reporting short supply of urea, Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Chaudhary had written to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, urging him to address the issue in Bhiwani district.

She said the supply of urea had fallen short by 1,066 metric tonnes compared to the demand in Bhiwani district. The timely availability of sufficient urea was crucial for maintaining yield, and any delay or shortage could severely impact it, she said.

She also raised the issue of uneven supply of urea, asking for a balanced distribution system across districts.

According to statewide data, there has been a total consumption of 1,098,111 MT in the state till January 22, which is 1,51,942 MT more than the previous year during the corresponding period. Significantly, there has been 43.5% more consumption in Yamunanagar district. Charkhi Dadri district, too, reported urea overuse by 33%; while for Jind it was 30%, Sonepat 22% and Faridabad 26%.

Sources said the imbalanced supply indicated illegal supply of the urea to industrial use or in adjoining states. The plywood industry in Yamunanagar had high demand for urea. “The farmers are getting urea bags at a subsidised rate of Rs 266.50 per bag after a subsidy of Rs 1,000. If the urea is going to the industry or in adjoining states, it is an injustice to Haryana farmers,” said an official.

Dr Om Prakash Bishnoi, wheat scientist at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, said farmers should not use urea more than the recommended dose of a total of 130 kg for wheat during the rabi season, which should be divided into three parts.

The Centre supplies urea fertilisers while the state agriculture department allocates the districts for the distribution of fertilisers.

Urea consumption (Rabi 2024-25)

District                       Percentage increase ( )/decrease (-)

Ambala                        8.91%

Bhiwani                      -2.36%

Charkhi Dadri            32.81%

Faridabad                    26.67%

Fatehabad                    13.49%

Gurgaon                        13.79%

Hisar                              13.97%

Jhajjar                            27.25%

Jind                                24.94%

Kaithal                            10.95%

Karnal                            6.77%

Kurukshetra                  5.51%

Mahendragarh              20.02%

Mewat                              23.34%

Palwal                              19.59%

Panchkula                        -9.24%

Panipat                              18.29%

Rewari                                17.37%

Rohtak                                26.19%

Sirsa                                    15.02%

Sonepat                                22.14%

Yamunanagar                    43.57%

Total                                      16.06%

Source: State Agriculture Department