BHUBANESWAR: Amid concerns over the availability of urea and DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) during the ongoing kharif season, the state government has directed district administrations to promote alternative fertilisers even as it asserted that there was no fertiliser crisis.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment secretary Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav has written to district collectors, asking them to actively encourage the use of complex fertilisers as substitutes for DAP and ammonium sulphate as an alternative to urea.
The directives came in the wake of disruptions in supply of DAP and urea, the two most popular chemical soil nutrients of the farmers of the state.
“The Centre has planned to supply a large quantity of ammonium sulphate, which contains 20.5 per cent nitrogen and 23 per cent sulphur. Besides serving as an effective substitute for urea, it also helps address sulphur deficiency in agricultural soils,” the Agriculture secretary stated in a communication to the collectors.
The central government is placing special emphasis on the use of complex fertilisers in place of DAP, whose supply has been affected this year due to global supply chain disruptions and volatile urea prices. District authorities have been asked to create awareness among farmers about the benefits of these alternatives to ensure balanced nutrient management and avoid disruptions in crop cultivation.
To streamlines distribution, district-level officials of MARKFED have been directed to place indents for complex fertilisers and ammonia sulphate in proportion to the fertiliser allocation made to each district. The state government has decided to provide 60 per cent of the district quota of fertilisers requirement for supply to PACS through MARKFED during kharif-2026.
Responding to Opposition allegations of a fertiliser crisis, Cooperation minister Pradeep Bal Samanta maintained that there was no shortage in the state. “There is no fertiliser crisis in Odisha. Fertilisers are available in every PACS, and farmers need not panic. So far, the state has received 1,81,810 metric tonnes of fertilisers and adequate stocks are available,” Samanta said.
He accused the Opposition of spreading rumours about a fertiliser shortage without understanding the actual situation. The minister, however, acknowledged that supplies of DAP and urea have been affected. “Just as crude oil and cooking gas supplies were impacted by the West Asia crisis, fertiliser supplies have also been hit. The situation is improving but there is a shortage of urea and DAP. That is why the central government is emphasising the use of alternative fertilisers,” he said.
