VIJAYAWADA: Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the supply of DAP fertiliser on an emergency basis to Andhra Pradesh to safeguard the interests of farmers, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh has sought an inquiry into an artificial shortage of DAP in AP under the YSRC regime.
In separate letters addressed to the Prime Minister and the Union Agriculture Minister on Monday, Lokesh said farming activity in the State was badly affected due to a severe shortage of DAP fertiliser. Though the Centre allocated 2.25 lakh tones of DAP to AP for the Kharif season, he said the flawed policies of the State government, coupled with a lack of action to curb hoarding and black marketing of farm inputs led to an artificial shortage of DAP fertiliser in AP.
Some top-level people in the State government had recognised DAP fertiliser as a cash cow. Accordingly, fertiliser distribution policies were changed, leading to an artificial shortage in the market, he mentioned in the letter.
Earlier, fertilisers used to be supplied through cooperative societies. The YSRC government has redirected fertilisers to Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) for distribution to farmers. However, DAP fertiliser is not available at RBKs.
In the black market, a 50 kg of DAP bag is being sold at a higher price of Rs 150 to Rs 300 in the open market, he explained. Lokesh also wrote a separate letter to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, urging him to take steps to ensure an adequate supply of DAP and other fertilisers to farmers.