ACUTE SCARCITY of urea in the district has deprived large number of farmers from sprinkling fertiliser to wheat crop in the first and second irrigation. Small farmers are specially hit. For them black-market prices are prohibitive.
Wheat sowing has been done in 1,75,000 hectares here, about 10% less than the target set by the Agriculture Department. Against the district’s requirement of about 25,000 tones for this season 10,000 tones of urea has been supplied to farmers through Government, semi- Government and private outlets. The Government appears to have failed to make the required amount of the fertilisers timely available to the farmers.
Some farmers allege that unscrupulous dealers with the probable connivance of the Agriculture Department sold urea at Rs 320 per bag of 50 kg against its fixed price of Rs 251.60.
“It is not Sehore alone. The State has a short supply of 85,000 tones this year”, revealed Deputy Director Agriculture M S Raghu.
He said production of urea was delayed this year due to heavy rain in Gujarat and elsewhere, hence the shortage. However, he said that the situation would soon ease in Sehore as a consignment of 2,200 tones and much more is expected shortly.
{{/usCountry}}He said production of urea was delayed this year due to heavy rain in Gujarat and elsewhere, hence the shortage. However, he said that the situation would soon ease in Sehore as a consignment of 2,200 tones and much more is expected shortly.
{{/usCountry}}Urea is a vitally important and widely used fertiliser for the growth of the wheat plant. It is applied to this crop with irrigation around every three week in the first 2-3 irrigations.