Farmers face DAP shortage, to protest

Muktsar, November 7

With an acute shortage of diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, farmers in the district are running out of time to sow the wheat crop as the peak time to sow is between October 25 and November 15. Notably, per acre, 55-kg DAP fertiliser is required to sow the crop.

The farmers are upset and are ready to stage protest. The situation was almost similar last year.

At the moment, some fertiliser dealers are allegedly selling pesticides with the DAP fertiliser.

Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Gurusar village, said, “I need the DAP fertiliser to sow wheat crop on my four-acre land, but it is not available anywhere.”

Meanwhile, farmer leader Nirmal Singh Jasseana said, “If the situation doesn’t improve in the next three-four days, we will stage a protest. The farmers are complaining that the dealers are compelling them to buy pesticides with the DAP. The Agriculture Department officials must intervene.” Dilbag Singh, president, Madhir Co-operative Society Ltd, said, “We coverd five villages — Madhir, Gurusar, Babania, Sheikh and Rukhala. We have so far received just 1,550 bags of DAP fertiliser. The stock has been nil for over a week now and we need 2,000 more bags. We are told that the fresh stock is not arriving.”

On this, Gurpreet Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar, said, “There is hardly any shortage of the DAP fertiliser in the district. One bag of DAP fertiliser weighing 50kg costs Rs 1,350 to a farmer. Against the total requirement of 31,000 MT of the DAP fertiliser, the district has got the supply of 21,000 MT. Just about 8 per cent sowing of wheat crop has been done in the district.”

He added that no farmer had so far complained against any fertiliser dealer selling pesticides with the DAP fertiliser.

Meanwhile, sources in the department informed that there was shortage of subsidised wheat seeds.