Tamil Nadu - Others   

Scarcity of Super Phosphate, DAP hits farmers hard

L. Renganathan

Situation bound to get aggravated as more area comes under paddy cultivation

KULITHALAI: Paddy and banana farmers in Karur district are hamstrung by the scarcity of Super Phosphate and the sparse availability of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), much needed for both crops.

Farmers and fertilizer traders concede that while Super Phosphate and DAP had been unavailable for the past three months, the gravity of the situation assumed alarming proportions after the paddy farmers started the transplantation process, a fortnight after which they need Super Phosphate for application.

Though the paddy farmers are making do with poor substitutes of Super Phosphate and DAP, the situation is bound to get aggravated in the days to come as more area will come under paddy cultivation in the region. Farmers in Cauvery-irrigated areas of the district, such as Kulithalai and Krishnarayapuram blocks, undertake late samba paddy cultivation and on an average over 17,000 hectares would be brought under samba cultivation in the district.

So far, transplantation has been completed in around 6,000 hectares in the Kulithalai taluk and another 2,300 hectares in the Krishnarayapuram taluk. Paddy has also been raised in another 200 hectares in the Karur taluk of the district.

With just the halfway mark being crossed in the samba cropping season and the Super Phosphate and DAP scarcity looming large, the farmers are a worried lot.

For the past three months, during which period the scarcity of Super Phosphate and DAP began to set in, the fact that only the banana farmers needed the inputs gave some breathing space.

But, with water aplenty in the Cauvery, paddy farmers took to samba cultivation in full swing creating a larger demand.

Now, both banana and paddy farmers are seeking Super Phosphate and DAP, points out the organiser of the Kulithalai Farmers' Discussion Group, A.V. Gopaladesikan.

Other farmers in the region aver that Super Phosphate is scarce while they have to shell out more than Rs.10 a bag on the maximum retail price for DAP.

Fertilizer traders claim that the Central Government policy of the withdrawal of subsidies on stored Super Phosphate and DAP and the subsequent decline in returns for the traders is the main reason for the scarcity.

The regular production level is being maintained with no storage and scarcity arises when demand increases, they observe.

Paddy farmers also urge the State Government to establish at least 15 direct purchase centres in Kulithalai and Krishnarayapuram taluks to prevent middlemen from taking away the benefits of the farmers.

The Government should plan things in advance and not try to establish DPCs late and blame the ryots for not selling paddy to these centres, they point out.

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