CHENNAI: Bringing to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the shortfall in the supply of fertilisers to Tamil Nadu for April and May, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, on Tuesday, urged the PM to address this immediately.
The CM also urged the PM to instruct the authorities to supply the required quantities to meet demand for the rest of Kharif season, 3.83 lakh MT of urea, 1.06 lakh MT of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), and 0.83 lakh MT of Muriate of Potash (MOP).
Vijay said there is a shortfall of 39,001 MT of urea, 28,607 MT of DAP and 24,235 MT of MOP over the past two months against the supply plan.
He said with the IMD forecasting the onset of the southwest monsoon in the third week of May, fertiliser demand, especially for urea and DAP, is expected to rise sharply during the Kharif season. Any shortage at this crucial stage could affect the state’s food security, he said.
The chief minister also pointed out the state government is keen on ensuring adequate availability of fertilisers as it has planned to cover 25 lakh hectares under various crops during Kharif season, which accounts for nearly 40% of the Gross Cropped Area in Tamil Nadu.