Urea problem plaguing Nizamabad, Kamareddy farmers

Nizamabad: The urea shortage is plaguing the farmers of both Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts since some time. Neither festival nor rains could stop the farmers from lining up at society centres for urea since Monday night in Jukkal constituency of Kamareddy district. While some are trying to their luck by standing in the queue in front of fertiliser stores and primary cooperative societies from Tuesday morning.

There is no urea in Mallur and Karegam societies in Nizam Sagar mandal yet the farmers are waiting, hoping that urea stock may come at any time. The line has extended up to two kilometres from Mopal mandal cooperative society.

Farmers waiting at Suddapally primary co-operative society in Dichpally mandal were depressed as they didn't get any urea after waiting for several hours. In Dharpally, women farmers waiting for at the societies, while some women came along with their husbands to get urea, leaving their work at the fields. Some other farmers have kept their footwear in the line.

In fact, a train load of urea reached the district on Sunday, which couldn't meet the needs of the farmers. The farmers of Jukkal constituency, Pitlam mandal staged an agitation for supplying 10-year-old stock of urea.

The four fertiliser companies have supplied substandard quality urea to the market. Farmers are criticising the government and the authorities concerned for their unconcern towards farmers. The district agriculture officials have finally responded to the farmers' dharnas and protests and following the orders of District Collector M Rammohan Rao, reported the issue to the government.

Farmers took up cultivation of all crops as the district received fair amount of rainfall in August month, thus increasing the need of fertilisers. Urea was supplied in June and July months in this Kharif in the district, but the quota of August month hadn't reached the district till date.

The agricultural officials failed to pay attention to the increasing demand for fertilisers as rainfall in July was mild. But the unexpected increase in rainfall has increased the area of cultivation and more and more farmers are moving to societies to buy urea.

Agriculture department officials submitted a report to the government stating that the district needs 60,563 metric tonnes of urea. But only 38,250 metric tonnes have been supplied to the district in the last three months. Financially sound farmers buying urea in advance and in large quantities for future needs also could be one of the reasons for the shortage. The district needs supply of 18,000 metric tons urea in August month, but it got 8,000 metric tonnes.

Two days ago, 1,760 metric tons of urea came to the district and distributed to various mandals, but the farmers said that it was 10 years old stock and worried whether this urea is useful or not. That too, each farmer was given only two bags.

Following the district agricultural department request, the government decided to supply 26,000 metric tonnes urea to the district in three phases. The first load was reportedly to be dispatched on Sunday night and arrangements were also made to distribute urea to the district on Monday and Tuesday.