2.80 lakh urea bags handed to farmers
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 25 2013 :
Contrary to outcry from various sections a few months back against shortage of fertilizers, the State's Agriculture Department claim to have provided 2,80,000 bags of urea to the State farmers at maximum retail price (MRP) during the kharif season.
According to a source in the Agriculture Department the department authorities initiated necessary measures to comply with the Central Government's firm instruction to ensure that the farmers get urea at MRP rate.
Stating that all possible measures were adopted to stock 3 lakh urea bags as the quantity was considered to be adequate for the kharif season in the State, the source nevertheless conceded that transport bottlenecks and slight delay in releasing relevant fund impeded timely provision of urea to the farmers at Rs 286.6 per bag.
It is said that kharif season covers April to September months while from October till march rabi cropping is normally carried out in Manipur.
the source also pointed out that the Department eventually ensured sufficient availability of urea to the farmers even if there was some delay.
Mention may be made that farmers had criticised the Government when there was shortage of urea in the State in July and August months, a time when application of fertilizers is most essential.
While there was shortage of the essential agriculture item in the Government's possession the same was available at Rs 650 to Rs 700 per bag in the black market.
Informing that Agriculture Department has shipped in 2,10,00 bags of urea till date with another consignment of 70,000 bags procured by dealers, the source said with about 30,000 bags remaining in balance at the Government's disposal efforts are on to increase the stock to 58,000 by procuring more urea quantity in the next few days.
maintaining that the total stock balance would be used for rabi crop cultivation, the source also confided that inspite of the Department mulling to procure 9032 metric tonne urea for the rabi season the proposal is unlikely to materialise for the remaining stock might be adequate this season.