KENDRAPARA: Shortage of fertiliser during the cultivation season of kharif paddy crops has put the fate of a large number of farmers in the district at stake. With fertiliser becoming a scarce commodity, thousands of farmers in the region are facing difficulties in procuring the requisite quantity of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and urea. The shortage is threatening the timely sowing of paddy crops in the district, sources said.
Nagendra Jena, a farmer of Karilopatana village, said paddy saplings will die if fertilisers are not supplied in sufficient quantity. “I had gone to purchase fertiliser on Thursday but in vain. If the Agriculture department fails to supply fertiliser within a week, paddy saplings will wither and die,” said Pravat Sahoo, farmer of Pattamundai, who owns five acres of agriculture land.“While our livelihood is at stake, all our pleas for fertiliser supply to the authorities concerned have fallen on deaf ears,” Sahoo added.
Leader of the district unit of Krushak Sabha Umesh Chandra Singh said many farmers are being forced to buy substandard and spurious DAP and urea at exorbitant rates from black marketers and illegal hoarders. “If more fertiliser is not released immediately, the crop sown will wither away and farmers will suffer huge losses,” he said.
Contacted, Deputy Director of Agriculture department, Kendrapara Mitrodaya Das said farmers of the district have raised paddy over 1,23,000 hectare (ha) of agriculture land for which they need around 15,350 tonnes of fertiliser. “We have already received 3,800 tonnes of fertiliser from the State Government and will get another 500 tonnes soon,” he said.
Das further said all 114 cooperative societies are selling fertiliser to farmers. The rate of a 50 kg bag of DAP is priced at `1,295 whereas a 45 kg bag of urea comes for `266. “Stringent action will be taken against those involved in selling spurious pesticides,” he said and added, “We are conducting raids on various fertiliser shops to check illegal sale of spurious seeds in the district.”