CUTTACK: Even as kharif paddy cultivation has picked up across the district, short supply of government-supplied fertilisers has led to black marketing, compelling farmers to buy them at steep prices.
Sources said over 1.24 lakh hectare land has been taken up for kharif paddy cultivation in across 14 blocks of the district against the targeted over 1.47 lakh ha.
As per the estimation of the district agriculture office, around 21,300 tonne of fertilisers is required for over 1,24,911 hectare of paddy-cultivated land. However, only 2,338.98 metric tonne fertilisers have so far been provided to 140 primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) which is around 10.98 per cent of the requirement.
The administration has also authorised 593 licensed shops to sell fertilisers to farmers at government price. While the government has fixed the selling price of a bag containing of 45 kg urea, the most important nitrogenous fertiliser, at Rs 266.50, the same is being sold at Rs 500 or more by some unscrupulous traders.
Similarly, while the government price of potash and DAP is Rs1,550 and Rs 1,350 respectively per 50 kg bag, they are being sold at more than Rs 1,800 and Rs 1,500 respectively.
“August and September are the most crucial months for kharif cultivation as the application of fertilisers like urea, potash and DAP is required for better growth of the transplanted paddy saplings. However, due to their non-availability at the PACS, we have no other option than to buy the same at higher prices from the black markets,” said some farmers.
Sources said, owing to laxity in monitoring and enforcement by the district administration and demand-and-supply gap of the fertilisers, some unscrupulous traders have jacked up the price by creating an artificial scarcity by hoarding the stocks.
Chief district agriculture officer Rajashree Behera, however, said enforcement is being carried out against the unscrupulous traders to curb the black marketing of fertilisers.