Amid DAP shortage, coop societies’ quota hiked

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 9

With a widening gap in demand and supply of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and black marketing of fertiliser amid the sowing of wheat and potato, the Punjab Government has reversed the orders for distribution of DAP in favour of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS).

Demand, supply & pricing

• 5.50 LMT total DAP needed
• 3.10 LMT available to date
• 2.56 LMT allocated for Nov
• 52,056 MT got so far
• Rs1,200 is the price of each bag of DAP
• Rs1,600 a bag being sold on black market

Farmers Protest

• Thousands of farmers in Mansa, Ropar, Moga and Ferozepur, where three rakes each of DAP arrived, protested and demanded that the fertiliser should go only to cooperative societies
• In Malout, farmers blocked a road when even after waiting for long, they couldn’t get the supply. They demanded strict action against officials

Vehicles intercepted

• Farmers intercepted two tractor-trailers laden with DAP at a grain market in Muktsar. They alleged DAP was being shifted to an undisclosed location
• However, Agriculture Department officials clarified that the stock was meant for Faridkot

As farmers continued to complain about the shortage of DAP, the government, apparently on a back foot because of the possible political backlash, decided to allocate maximum DAP (70 per cent) through 3,500 cooperative societies, leaving just 30 per cent for distribution through private traders.

A decision to this effect was taken late Monday night, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. The Chief Minister is learnt to have prevailed upon his colleagues to increase the DAP allocation for cooperative societies to ensure farmers do not have to pay the premium to traders.

Information gathered by The Tribune shows that as against the price of Rs 1200 per bag, DAP is being sold in the market by private traders at Rs 1,600-1,700 per bag. In most places, farmers are even forced to buy add-on pesticides or other chemicals worth Rs 400-500, along with each bag of fertiliser.

In cooperative societies, however, though the political leanings of members are a consideration for priority allotment of DAP, it is being sold at Rs 1,200 a bag.

Sources say the Chief Minister had sought data

regarding the number of farmers and their land

holdings, attached with all cooperative societies. As many as 14 lakh farmers, mostly small and marginal ones, are attached with these societies. Kulwant Singh, secretary, Kishangarh Cooperative Society, Mansa, said based on the land holding, each person was getting only 50 per cent of the requirement.

In July, the state government had issued directions that 80 per cent of fertiliser would be allocated to cooperative societies and only 20 per cent would go to private traders, with an aim of mitigating the problems faced by small and marginal farmers in sourcing fertilisers.

However, this order was reversed in September, and both sides were to get 50 per cent each of the stocks.

As the supply situation continued to remain grim, on past Saturday, it was decided to allocate 60 per cent of the DAP to cooperative societies, which has now been increased to 70 per cent.

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