VIJAYAWADA: As of Monday, the State has a stock of 6.63 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers including 2.6 lakh tonnes of urea, 0.42 lakh tonnes of DAP, 0.58 lakh tonnes of MOP, 0.61 lakh tonnes of SSP and 2.42 lakh tonnes of complex.
According to agriculture commissioner H Arun Kumar, the required 20.45 lakh metric tonnes of fertilizers, including 8.25 lakh tonnes of urea, 2.5 lakh tonnes of DAP, 1.5 lakh tonnes of MOP, 1.26 lakh tonnes of SSP and 7 lakh tonnes of complex have been sanctioned by the Centre for the ensuing Kharif season. They will be dispatched to the State in instalments, on a monthly basis.
To prevent the dealers from creating artificial scarcity of fertilizer presuming that prices will increase, joint directors of agriculture in all districts were directed to ensure that only fertiliser bags are sold at the prices printed on the bags. The agriculture commissioner said in case any dealer is found guilty of creating artificial scarcity or selling fertilisers above MRP, trade licence of them will be cancelled besides taking other actions under the Fertiliser Control Act 1985.