The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Steps taken to ensure adequate supply of fertilizers”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 02, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Steps taken to ensure adequate supply of fertilizers”

Special Correspondent

It warns of action against sale in black market
Rs. 30 crore advanced to TANFED to buy DAP

CHENNAI: The government on Sunday appealed to farmers not to be misled by the campaign that the State was facing fertilizer shortage, and said it had taken all steps to ensure adequate supply of fertilizers to them.

It also warned of stringent action against sale of fertilizers in the black market.

An official release here said the khariff season required 4.35 lakh tonnes of urea, 2 lakh tonnes of DAP and another two lakh tonnes of potash.

During the season, paddy would be cultivated on 7.71 lakh hectares, cereals on 5 lakh hectares, pulses on 3.40 lakh hectares, oil seeds on 5.33 lakh hectares, cotton on 50,000 hectares and sugarcane on 2 lakh hectares.

The government said in May the urea requirement would be 60,000 tonnes, and after distributing 16,500 tonnes the stock position remained at 78,451 tonnes. As far DAP, the requirement was 23,000 tonnes and the TANFED was having 5,057 tonnes after distributing 19,276 tonnes. Potash stock position was also more than adequate.

While the requirement was 25,000 tonne, the government was keeping 12,000 tonnes after distributing 15,199 tonnes.

The government had also taken steps to distribute 20,986 tonnes of DAP through Indian Potash, Zuari and Coromandel Fertilizers.

It had been calculated that 30,000 tonnes of urea would be required once the Mettur dam was opened on June 12 for irrigation.

Fertilizer manufacturers who attended the meeting on May 19 agreed to supply 1,36,495 lakh tonnes of urea, 63,710 tonnes of DAP and 41,000 potash.

African Glory, one of the three ships, carrying 21,225 tonnes of DAP had reached the Chennai Port and Tamil Nadu would get 15,000 tonnes.

Of this 9,000 tonnes would be distributed in June and 5,000 tonnes in July.

Indian Potash Ltd and Coromandel Fertilzers Limited would import DAP and the ships would arrive at Tuticorin Port soon.

Though the requirement for June was only 30,000 tonnes, the government would be in a position to distribute 33,000 tonnes.

Government had given Rs. 30 crore without interest as advance to TANFED to buy DAP from the importers. Moreover, another Rs. 20 crore had also been sanctioned to keep adequate stocks.

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