Punjab agri minister meets Mandaviya, discusses fertiliser shortage issue in state

PTI, Oct 19, 2021, 6:11 PM IST

New Delhi: Punjab Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha on Tuesday met Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and raised the issue of shortage of fertilisers in the state.

After seeking his immediate intervention, Mandaviya assured to supply 10 rakes of DAP (diammonium phosphate), five rakes of NPK (complex fertiliser) and two rakes of SSP (single super phosphate) within three-four days to Punjab, Nabha said.

Considering Punjab’s demand, the Union minister also assured adequate supply of urea to Punjab in November and December, he said.

The state’s agriculture minister called upon Mandaviya at his office here and told him that the total requirement of DAP for rabi crops is 5.50 lakh tonnes. Out of this, 4.80 lakh tonnes is required during October and November for timely sowing of the wheat crop, he added.

DAP is an essential input for ensuring optimum productivity of wheat, which is sown on an area of about 35 lakh hectares in Punjab.

The Punjab minister said the state has 0.74 lakh tonnes opening stock of DAP on October 1, 2021, as compared to 3.63 lakh tonnes last year on the same date.

The government has allocated only 1.97 lakh tonnes of DAP against the demand of 2.75 lakh tonnes during October 2021, Nabha said adding that it is being felt that a likely shortfall of this crucial input may appear for the sowing of wheat crop and only 20-25 days have been left for the complete sowing of wheat.

Punjab has demanded an additional allocation of 1.50 lakh tonnes of DAP to the state for October 2021 and expedites the supply of DAP, said Nabha.

Giving details of the Union government’s supply plan and actual despatches for October 2021, Nabha said Punjab got only 80,951 tonnes DAP against the allocation plan of 1,97,250 tonnes, thus got only 41 per cent of the total allocation.

He added Haryana got 89 per cent (supply plan 58,650, despatched 52,155) of the total allocation, Uttar Pradesh got 170 per cent (supply plan 60,000, despatched 1,02,201) and Rajasthan got 88 per cent (supply plan 67,890, despatched 59,936).

“It shows step-motherly treatment meted out with Punjab on part of the Union government,” he said.

“We apprised the Union minister that Punjab, known as the food bowl of the nation, is being allocated a much lesser quantity of DAP in comparison to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

“We have been writing the Union government for the past six months on this sensitive issue. We also informed the Union minister that the shortage of DAP at the onset of the rabi season can lead to farmers’ unrest,” Nabha said expressing hope that the Union government will stand by its commitment to supplying DAP.

While interacting with the media after the meeting, the Punjab Cabinet minister informed that the Union minister has said that the shortage of DAP was due to the non-availability of fertilisers in the international market and the Union government will ensure adequate supply of DAP to Punjab.

“During the meeting, we also demanded that the Union government must repeal the black farm laws, against those the farmers are protesting for the last one year. The farmers are feeling insecure as they argue that with these farmer laws, the big corporations will get away their farmlands,” said Nabha.