TIRUCHY: In the midst of the ongoing samba season, farmers in Tiruchy have raised concerns over the short supply of fertilizers in the district. Confirming it, the officials concerned however said the situation was under control and manageable.
N Rajendram, a farmer's leader from the Tamil Manila Congress, said, "Adequate quantity of fertilizers are not available in societies at the moment. We faced such situations in the past two years as well. We expect the government to support us this year. Our main requirements for samba cultivation are urea, DAD and potash."
Ayyalai Siva Suriyan, another farmer's leader, said, "It is a difficult situation since the season just started. The State government must take immediate steps to solve the issue."
An agriculture official said, "We have submitted a periodical report to the State government in which the need for fertilisers has been mentioned. However, the co-operative department should conduct periodical inspections to ensure fertilizers are given to farmers without withholding stocks."
T Jeyaraman, the district joint registrar of co-operative societies, told TNIE, "We are not withholding any stocks. We supply fertilizers as and when we get them from the government. It is true that there is a slight shortage. However, it is manageable. We have around 4,600 fertilisers in stock with us. It includes urea - 649 tonnes, DAP - 968 tonnes, and potash - 715 tonnes. We are taking steps to resolve the shortage issue."