BHUBANESWAR: With an increasing demand for fertilisers in view of the near normal rainfall across the State, Odisha Government has requested the Centre to allocate 1.75 lakh tonnes of urea for August. Ministry of Fertiliser, which has allocated 1.5 lakh tonnes of urea for July, has indicated an allocation of 1.14 lakh tonnes for the State in August.
As the demand for fertiliser, particularly urea, is more in August after beusaning, the State Government has urged the Ministry to enhance its urea quota to 1.75 lakh tonnes.
With agricultural operation in full swing, the demand for urea has picked up in the State. As demand will be more in August, the State Government wants to preposition fertilisers at block and panchayat levels to safeguard the interest of farmers.
“The State requires 1.75 lakh tonnes of urea, 35,000 tonnes of DAP, 30,000 tonnes of MoP and 60,000 tonnes of complex fertilizer,” Chief Secretary GC Pati wrote to Union Fertiliser Secretary Anuj Kumar Bishnoi.
The Chief Secretary requested Bishnoi to issue suitable instruction to fertiliser manufacturing companies for making requisite allocation to the State for August without delay.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Rajesh Verma has met the Union Secretary, Fertiliser and requested to do the needful.
The crisis of urea will be there in the State and shortfall in supply will further complicate the situation, said a senior officer in DoA.
As allocation of fertilisers to Odisha remains low compared to its demand, the State receives only about 80 per cent of the urea during kharif season. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Union Minister, Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh during his last visit to New Delhi and urged him to provide required amount of fertilisers to the State.
Alleging that the State has not been able to achieve the desired level of fertiliser consumption due to inadequate allocation, the Chief Minister said the average fertiliser consumption of 57 kg per hectare (ha) lags much behind the national average of 127 kg per ha.
Taking into account the cropping pattern and soil fertility level, it is estimated that the ideal fertiliser consumption of the State will be about 126 kg per ha, official sources said. It is often seen that the Centre fails to match the peak demand supply resulting in scarcity of fertilisers which, at times, gives rise to law and order problems.