MALKANGIRI: Acute shortage of urea and fertiliser during this crucial phase of paddy cultivation has irked farmers across the district. Farmers of MV-79 area alleged that fertiliser is being sold for Rs 400-600 per bag instead of Rs 270, the price fixed by the government.
Since Large Area Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS) do not have enough stock of urea, farmers are forced to buy it from the black market at Rs 500-700 per bag, said Pachu Sarkar, a farmer of MV-79. He said black marketers from Andhra Pradesh are having a field day in the district.
The farmers blamed the government for not taking steps to check black marketing of urea and fertiliser. Hinting at a nexus between LAMPS officials and black marketers, they said the Government has made no effort to safeguard the interests of farmers.
Deputy Director, Agriculture, Malkangiri Rama Chandra Pattnaik said the Indian Farmer’s Fertilisers Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) supplies urea to the LAMPS.
“Against our requirement of 600 tonne of urea, we have so far received 400 tonne from Jeypore and the remaining 200 tonne would be available soon,” he said.
Apart from supplying urea to LAMPS, IFFCO also supplies fertiliser to 81 private dealers across the district.
Pattnaik said he has not received any complaint of black marketing of urea. There was scarcity of urea 20-25 days back but normalcy will be restored in a day or two, he said.
Meanwhile, the farmers’ body of the district has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to curb black marketing of urea and fertiliser in the district.