Urea Shortage Pushes Farmers Into Distress In Warangal
In a distressing incident, farmers in Narsimhulapet mandal of Mahbubabad district reportedly fell at the feet of an agriculture officer, pleading for urea bags: Reports
WARANGAL: A severe shortage of urea fertiliser has pushed farmers in the united Warangal district into distress. With the crop season at a crucial stage, many farmers are struggling to protect their crops due to the lack of timely supplies.
In a distressing incident, farmers in Narsimhulapet mandal of Mahbubabad district reportedly fell at the feet of an agriculture officer, pleading for urea bags. Farmers from Bastara Thanda appealed to officials to save their crops and investments, saying their standing crops would wither without fertiliser.
The shortage has triggered unrest in several areas. In Seerole mandal of Mahbubabad district, a stampede-like situation arose at a cooperative office after officials announced a restriction of one urea bag per farmer.
In Fort Warangal of Hanamkonda district, large groups of farmers staged protests in front of cooperative societies, demanding immediate government intervention and issuance of tokens for fertiliser distribution.
Farmers in Ghanpur mandal of Jangaon district waited throughout the day at fertiliser outlets. Tensions flared when a shop at Shivunipally failed to open on time, despite farmers having booked fertiliser through online registration.
Meanwhile, the state government has introduced a Urea Tracking App to streamline distribution. Officials said the app functions like a taxi-booking platform, allowing farmers to book fertiliser using land details from their homes. An OTP is generated, which farmers can show at the outlet to collect fertiliser without standing in long queues. The system aims to prevent hoarding and ensure equitable distribution, especially to small and marginal farmers.
However, the transition has posed challenges. Many farmers are either unaware of the app or do not own smartphones, undermining its effectiveness. As a result, hundreds of farmers continue to stand in long queues for hours, hoping to secure fertiliser through conventional means.
Farmers said the kharif season is at a critical stage and urea is essential for crop growth. They stressed that digital systems cannot substitute the immediate availability of fertiliser on the ground and demanded urgent physical supplies, while officials maintained that the app would eventually curb black marketing and improve distribution.