Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh

Farmer Raghavendra Pal was busy irrigating his crop of peas in five acres of his land. “I have seven acres in all, but two acres are lying unused,” the 22-year-old farmer from Pachora village in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, told Gaon Connection. Raghavendra said he could not sow his entire land because of a shortage of fertilisers – Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) – which prevented him from doing so.

“If I had managed to get the fertilisers on time, I could have cultivated on my entire seven acres,” the farmer continued.

Many farmers like Raghavendra in Bundelkhand region have struggled with cultivation of their rabi (winter) crops due to the alleged shortage of the critical fertilisers they need for their crops.

It has led to delay in sowing for some farmers while for others, like Raghavendra, they have been forced to leave part or whole of their lands untended. 

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Many farmers complained that the frequent visits they had to make to look for the fertilisers had added to their expenses. They said for a sack of DAP that cost them Rs 1,200 they ended up spending Rs 2,000 with all the to and fro they had to do.

Multiple trips, no fertiliser 

Last month, after the rains between October 17 and 19, farmers wanted to start the rabi sowing taking advantage of the moisture in the soil of their lands. However, the fertilisers they needed to put on their lands were not available to them.

“I had to make five trips for two bags of DAP,” Dhaniram Ahirwar from Khakhron village, Lalitpur, told Gaon Connection. “I had to keep going back to Mahroni, fifty kilometres away,” he said. 

The fertilisers are put in the soil when it is wet and the soil has started drying up because of which Dhaniram had to spend money once again and water his land with a diesel run pump set. “If fertilisers were available in Banpur area where I live, I would not have to spend that extra money on diesel, nor would I have to travel long distances to look for the DAP,” the 45-year-old farmer said angrily, as he awaited his turn in the long line outside Kisan Seva Sahakari Samiti to get the fertiliser. 

Also Read: Shortage in fertilisers throw farmers in Lalitpur district in turmoil

Fertiliser shortage in several states

DAP is one of the indispensable fertilisers needed in the rabi season when farmers prepare their land to sow mustard, wheat, potatoes, peas and several dals. However, the constant shortage of the fertiliser has plagued farmers across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

There were protests, dharnas and several farmers died as they waited for days to procure fertilisers. There were also reports that some of the farmers had died by suicide as they were unable to procure the fertilisers in time to sow their crops. 

However, the government authorities denied that there was any drastic shortage in fertiliser availability and also unequivocally stated that the farmers’ death by suicide had nothing to do with fertilisers and their unavailability. The unseasonal rains that had prompted a second round of sowing had led to a temporary shortage of fertilisers, the government maintained.

In a meeting with farmers and fertiliser company officials in Lucknow recently, Surya Pratap Shahi, agriculture minister, Uttar Pradesh, said that 300,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers will be made available to farmers in the state by November 30, and that the government was committed to supply the required quantities of fertilisers to the farmers.

Also Read: In peak kharif season, farmers in Uttar Pradesh face urea shortage; govt claims enough supply of the fertiliser

The DAP requirement in Uttar Pradesh for the month of November, the minister said, was 600,000 metric tonnes of which 300,000 metric tonnes had already been supplied by November 11. The remaining will also be supplied shortly, the minister assured the farmers. 

No shortage of fertilisers, says IFFCO

IFFCO that fulfills 40 per cent of the state’s fertiliser requirement also said there was no shortage. Company representatives said that the company had more than fulfilled the state’s demand for fertilisers.

“There is no shortage of fertilisers,” Abhimanyu Rai, marketing manager, IFFCO, Uttar Pradesh, told Gaon Connection. “In October we allotted one lakh seven thousand metric tonnes of DAP while in November we supplied 1.90 lakh metric tonnes. Whatever the demand from each district is being met,” Rai said.

However, despite official claims, farmers from several districts in Uttar Pradesh are exasperated and anxious over the shortfall of fertilisers.

Initially the farmers in Lalitpur were elated by the rains in mid-October. Because the soil was moist and ready to be sowed. “Because of the rains, most farmers decided to plant dal and peas instead of wheat. But as the farmers waited to get hold of fertilisers, the land dried up,” Mahendra Rajput, from Chilla village, 20kms away from Lalitpur district headquarters, told Gaon Connection. 

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“Every day farmers from the village rush to Lalitpur where they wait in long lines for the fertilisers. Some get lucky and manage a bag or two, others return, disheartened and empty handed,” the 35-year-old farmer added.

According to data by the agriculture department in Lalitpur, until 15 November, 35,500 metric tonnes of fertilisers had been distributed to the district. Further, 2,500 metric tonnes of fertilisers were available for sale.

“All fertiliser outlets in the district have the fertilisers that are being sold under the supervision of department officials,” Rajiv Kumar Bharthi, district agriculture officer, Lalitpur, told Gaon Connection. “We are also closely monitoring that no black marketing happens, especially the areas that share a border with Madhya Pradesh,” he added.

The agriculture department of Uttar Pradesh has set up a control room at the directorate of agriculture to deal with matters pertaining to procurement of fertilisers. The control room numbers are, 0522-2204531, 00-91-78398-83079. The state authorities have also warned of stringent action against anyone found indulging in black marketing of fertilisers.

Read the story in Hindi.