Amaravati: Agriculture minister K Atchannaidu on Friday directed district collectors and senior officials to swiftly resolve distribution bottlenecks in urea supply and ensure that farmers are not misled by false rumours about shortages.

Chairing a video conference with top state officials from the Secretariat, the minister said that though the Centre has supplied urea well above the state’s kharif requirement, internal distribution lapses were causing hardships in some areas and denting the government’s image.

Atchannaidu instructed authorities to act immediately on problems identified in the distribution system, prevent advance bulk purchases for the rabi season, and ensure farmers buy urea only for their immediate crop needs.

He announced that the Markfed-to-private dealer allocation ratio will be revised from 50:50 to 70:30. Vigilance teams comprising police, revenue and industries officials will conduct joint inspections to check diversion of fertiliser to non-agricultural industries. Urea from Markfed buffer stocks must be delivered promptly to Rythu Seva Kendras with government support for transport costs.

Special chief secretary (agriculture & cooperation) Budithi Rajasekhar clarified that the Centre has allocated 6.22 lakh metric tonnes for kharif and 9.38 lakh metric tonnes for rabi, assuring there is no shortage. He noted that unnecessary panic buying and stockpiling are triggered by rumours. He reminded that fingerprint KYC for e-POS purchases was scrapped in 2018, but warned of misuse and diversion, calling for strict action.

The minister instructed the collectors to form monitoring teams, register cases against violators, and heighten vigilance in Krishna, Eluru and Godavari districts where aquaculture demand is high.

DGP Harish Kumar Gupta asked for helpline numbers to be publicised and daily supply updates shared with the media to reassure farmers. Additional secretary to CMO Rajamouli said the Centre is closely watching state performance on urea distribution and urged officials to work together to prevent unrest, stressing that additional rakes are on the way and bulk advance purchases are unnecessary.