Fertiliser Demand Rising, Send Us Our Quota, State Tells Centre

Hyderabad: Telangana has urged the Centre to take immediate steps to supply the state’s allocated share of fertilisers, with agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao writing to Union chemicals and fertilisers minister J.P. Nadda seeking additional allocations in July to make up for shortfalls recorded between April and June.

Nageswara Rao said fertiliser demand had increased during the current kharif season as sowing had been completed in 55.52 lakh acres, compared with 52.04 lakh acres during the corresponding period last year.

He said supplies had not matched the plan approved by the Centre, resulting in significant shortages of DAP and complex fertilisers. Between April and June, Telangana faced a shortfall of 45,000 tonnes of urea, 1.04 lakh tonnes of DAP and 2.53 lakh tonnes of complex fertilisers.

Since DAP and complex fertilisers are crucial during the initial growth stages of crops, the shortage could create difficulties for farmers, he said.

The minister also requested Nadda to allocate more than 90 per cent of urea produced at the Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited plant to Telangana.

Meanwhile, the IT department said farmers who are unable to book urea through the mobile app can do so at any MeeSeva centre by paying a service fee of Rs 10. Operators will assist farmers with the booking process.

Farmers must provide their pattadar passbook number, after which the operator will retrieve their details, record the cultivated extent and crop information, and book urea by selecting the preferred dealer and required quantity. After OTP verification on the farmer’s registered mobile number, a booking ID will be generated.

The booking ID will remain valid for 48 hours, excluding the date of booking, the IT department said in a release.