HYDERABAD: Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao urged the Centre to allot two lakh tonnes of urea for June, along with an additional 0.47 lakh tonnes to bridge the April gap and meet the peak fertiliser demand in the state.
The minister made this request in view of the increased acreage for the cultivation of major crops such as maize, paddy, and cotton.
In a letter to the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda on Friday, Nageswara Rao said that the state government has already initiated the advance positioning of fertilisers in all districts, anticipating peak demand from the second week of June until September.
He said that against the monthly requirement of two lakh tonnes of urea, only 1.67 lakh tonnes have been dispatched so far compared to the pro-rata target of 1.8 lakh tonnes, indicating a likely shortfall for May. Consequently, the state may not be able to absorb the deficit during the ongoing Kharif season, the minister told the Union minister.
He also requested the Union minister to direct importers-including NFL, IPL, and KRIBHCO-to supply the deficit quantities along with the May allotments.
