The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State facing fertilizer shortage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State facing fertilizer shortage

Nagesh Prabhu

Centre fails to supply monthly quota

DAP supply not being adhered to as per
the allocation
Demand for fertilizers has gone up owing to
timely rains

Bangalore: The State is falling short of various types of fertilizer in the ongoing kharif season on account of the Centre's failure to ensure supply monthly quota of micronutrients.

The Union Government has not allocated the monthly quota of fertilizers to the State in April, May and June. In June, it supplied 1,86,750 tonnes of DAP and NPK to the State against the requirement of 2,05,100 tonnes, leaving a shortage of 18,350 tonnes.

In April and May, the Centre supplied 87,676 tonnes of DAP against the allocation of 1.59 lakh tonnes, leaving shortage of 71,324 tonnes. “The combined supply of DAP and NPK is only 2,55,456 tonnes against the requirement of 2,79,7000 tonnes leaving a deficit of 24,244 tonnes in April and May,” sources in the Agriculture Ministry told The Hindu.

The supply of muriate of potash (MOP) was 22,778 tonnes against the allocation of 49,000 tonnes in April and May.

Although the Centre has been allocating fertilizers every month based on the demand finalised in February 2011 in New Delhi, the quantity of DAP supply, in particular, was not being adhered ato as per the allocation, official sources said.

The Centre has allocated 23.35 lakh tonnes of different grades of fertilizers, which included 6.15 lakh tonnes of DAP, 2.90 tonnes of MOP, 6.30 lakh tonnes of NPK complexes and eight lakh tonnes of urea to the State during kharif 2011.

The demand for DAP and NPK complexes increased in the ongoing kharif season on account of more coverage of area under Bt cotton, sugarcane, horticultural crops and pulses.

A total area of 74.6 lakh hectares is being targeted for coverage this season, an increase of 2.9 per cent compared to previous year.

Area under Bt cotton expected to touch five lakh hectares this season on account of high prices last season. Area under pulses is likely to increase to 30 lakh hectares following benefits offered to farmers under the Food Security Mission (NFSM). Pulses covered 28 lakh hectares in 2010 kharif season.

Minister for Agriculture Umesh V. Katti, who met Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar, urged Mr. Pawar to instruct manufacturers concerned to supply the full quantity of micronutrients as per the allocation made by the Centre.

The officials said the demand for DAP and complex fertilizers, which are required at the time of sowing, has gone up due to timely rains. “Any shortfall in the availability of fertilizers will create panic among the farmers and will result law and order problem,” Mr. Katti said in a memorandum to the Centre.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka