Rayalaseema Facing Urea Shortage Even as Kharif Crop Season Begins

Farmers in Kadapa, Kurnool, Nandyal, and Anantapur districts say that urea stocks have not yet reached the state government’s Rythu Seva Kendras. However, fertilisers are available with private suppliers, who are rationing the product. Long queues can be seen outside shops, as farmers vie for the much needed fertiliser bags.

“We are facing such hardship in the initial stage itself. What will happen during peak sowing time,” ask farmers, expressing their anxiety over the situation.

According to farmers, fertiliser dealers are issuing only one 50-kg bag of urea per person upon submission of the Aadhaar card or pattadar passbook. M. Vishnuvardhan, a farmer from Kamalapuram mandal in Kadapa district, said, “The nearby Nagarjuna Fertilisers shop gave me only one bag based on my Aadhaar card,” he pointed out.

Some dealers are providing an additional urea bag, provided the farmer buys additional fertilisers. Alleging this malpractice, farmer Venkateswara Reddy said, “I requested for two bags. The shop owner insisted that I buy a phosphate bag to get another urea bag,” he said.

While the government-fixed price of a urea bag is ₹266, farmers claim that it is being sold for as high as ₹380 in private shops. “They are taking payments through PhonePe or cash, but not issuing bills,” farmers complained.

While this is the ground scenario, Nandyal district agriculture officer A. Venkateswarlu denied any shortage. “There is no scarcity of urea. We are ensuring supply at the government price of ₹266 per bag. A special app is also being developed to monitor distribution,” he maintained. The officer charged that overpricing is illegal and action will be taken against such dealers.

The issue of urea shortage comes at a critical time when Kharif cultivation is picking up pace. Officials estimate that the cultivation this season is over 4.35 lakh hectares in Kurnool, 2.22 lakh hectares in Nandyal, and 2.27 lakh hectares in Kadapa district. While cotton dominates the sowing in Kurnool and Nandyal districts, paddy and groundnut are widely cultivated in Kadapa.

Officials estimate that Nandyal district alone requires 1.73 lakh tonnes of fertilisers. But only about 27,000 metric tonnes are currently available.

Farmers further alleged that agriculture department officials are not responding to calls. “They say there is no shortage, but we are standing in long queues. The official helpline numbers are not working,” they said.

Farmers are also pointing to shortage of seeds, particularly the subsidised groundnut seeds. “We are not getting subsidised seeds. If we buy privately, the cost is too high,” said Marpu Chinna Subba Reddy, a farmer from Banaganapalle in Nandyal district.

“With rising input costs this season, we don’t know how to manage cultivation,” said M. Belurappa, a farmer from Adoni in Kurnool district.