Rejecting the Centre’s claim of adequate supply of fertiliser to the State, the Odisha Government on Monday alleged it was facing acute scarcity of fertiliser for the kharif crops and required at least 71,000 tonnes of urea by August-end.
“The farmers of Odisha face acute shortage of fertiliser due to deficit supply during this kharif season. While the Centre had supplied 5,87,191 MT of fertiliser by August 2011, this year during the same period quantum of supply was only 4,06,585 MT,” State Agriculture Minister, Debi Prasad Mishra, after taking stock of the fertiliser situation in the State.
As the prices of chemical fertilisers have increased manifold, the poor farmers of Odisha demand urea due to its low price. However, there is no stock of urea in the state, Mishra pointed out adding that the Centre had committed supply of 7,86,980 MT of fertiliser by end of August.
“Therefore, the State sustains a deficit of 3,80,395 MT fertiliser by August 27, the Minister said.
Rejecting the Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertiliser, Srikant Jena’s, claim that adequate supply of fertiliser had been made to the state, Mishra said “He (Jena) should refrain from doing politics when the farmers are facing scarcity of fertiliser.”
The State Government had earlier targeted use of at least 9,66,000 MT of fertiliser during this kharif in order to increase productivity of foodgrain.
“The State’s agriculture productivity is likely to suffer this time due to both inadequate supply of fertiliser and delayed monsoon,” said Agriculture Secretary, R L Jamuda.