The Hindu : Karnataka News : Scarcity of fertilizers frustrates farmers

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Karnataka

Karnataka

Scarcity of fertilizers frustrates farmers

Vishwa Kundapura

Good rain in drought-prone Kolar and Chickaballapur gives hope to farmers

ON ALERT: Activists of Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha staging a dharna in front of Agriculture Department office at Kolar demanding proper supply of fertilizers on Wednesday.

KOLAR: Even farmers in several parts of the State were agitating against the reported shortage of fertilizers, the district administration in Kolar is gearing up to avoid any unwarranted situation.

Farmers’ organisations in the district have already started agitations demanding precautionary measures to stop exploitation of farmers by dealers of fertilizers and seeds.

Since the district received 192 mm rainfall as compared to normal 142 mm rainfall in the season, farmers were happy and set to take up agricultural activities.

Farmers were out with their cattle and ploughs to prepare the land for sowing. With reports of good monsoon in the offing, the demand for seeds and fertilizers may go up in the traditionally rain-fed region of Kolar and Chickballapur districts.

But the district is facing shortage of fertilizers. According to the information provided by G.H. Sriranga, Joint Director of Agriculture Department, only 25 per cent of the required fertilizers for the district in the season had been received. Among the available stock, much of the fertilizers had been utilised for horticulture and sericulture, leaving very little for farmers. In such circumstances, the responsibility of district administration in streamlining the fertilizer supply had been increased.

F.R. Jamadar, zilla panchayat chief executive officer, who is holding additional charge of Deputy Commissioner, has initiated several measures in this direction. Through an order, he made it mandatory for licensed traders to display the stock of fertilizers and the price list every day. Failure to comply with the order would attract stringent action, Mr. Jamadar said.

He asked Agriculture Department officials to conduct surprise raids on godowns and shops to prevent hoarding and artificial scarcity. While informing that a letter had been written to Commissioner for Agriculture regarding supply of enough quantity of fertilizers, Mr. Jamadar said there would be no dearth of certified seeds in the district.

Farmers need not get panic on this count, he told The Hindu.

Onus on government

Reacting sharply to a suggestion by Deputy Commissioner F.R. Jamadar that farmers should provide specific information on cases of cheating, Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) leader Holur Shankar said the onus was on the officials. “Hoarding by traders is an open secret.

The officials should act swiftly and book the culprits and protect farmers,” Mr. Shankar said.

The sangha activists staged a dharna in front of the Agriculture Joint Director’s office here on Wednesday urging the authorities to make proper arrangements for supplying fertilizers and seeds.

“The agitation is intended to alert the authorities about the impending problem. Officers should take this in the right spirit,” Mr. Shankar said.

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