KHAMMAM: Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao on Sunday said that if the Union government truly cares about Telangana’s farmers, it should immediately supply adequate urea to the state.
In a letter to Union Fertilisers Minister JP Nadda, he said: “To meet the needs of our farmers in August, the state should be allocated an additional three lakh metric tonnes of urea.”
The minister revealed the contents of the letter to the media at the IDOC office in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. He said: “With Kharif cultivation in full swing across Telangana, urea consumption is expected to exceed three lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in August.”
“Farmers have already suffered heavy losses due to insufficient supply of urea in June and July. Urea is crucial for key crops like paddy, cotton and maize, which are cultivated in 1.16 crore acres in the state,” he added.
Khammam district special officer Surendra Mohan, Khammam MP Ramsahayam Raghurama Reddy and Pinapaka MLA Payam Venkateshwarlu were present on the occasion.
Shortage shows Centre’s inefficiency: Ponnam
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar alleged that the BJP leaders, including its state president N Ramchander Rao, lack basic understanding of agrarian system and the supply chains that sustain it.
Speaking to the media in Husnabad, he expressed concern over the politicisation of the fertiliser shortage, stating that while all agricultural inputs such as seeds, water and electricity are coordinated by states, fertilisers fall under the purview of the Centre.
He alleged that the current shortfall in fertiliser supply is a direct result of the Centre’s inability to deliver the required stocks to Telangana.
He said that the BJP leaders are reportedly attempting to shift the blame onto the Congress government in the state in a calculated attempt to discredit its functioning.
Refuting BJP’s claims of “no shortage” of urea, the minister urged the BJP leadership to understand the available data — actual stock allocated, how much was delivered, and what is still pending. He called upon senior BJP leaders like G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to exert pressure on the Centre to ensure timely distribution of fertilisers to Telangana’s farmers.
The minister criticised the BJP’s rhetoric as detached from ground realities, stating that political leaders making such allegations appear to have no connection with agricultural life. He warned against using farmers as political tools and insisted that the needs of the farming community should not be ignored.