Farmers facing hardship in getting fertiliser
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 12 2021: Farmers have been facing severe hardship in reaching district headquarters to get subsidised fertilisers amid the Covid-19 curfew as the government is facilitating sale of subsidised fertiliser only at the district agriculture offices.

The situation has prompted the question why the government is not activating the warehouses of sub-divisional offices of agriculture department, which were especially constructed for storing urea.

A farmer from Kakching district told The People's Chronicle that they are facing difficulties in going to the district headquarters to get only one or two bags of urea, especially during the curfew imposed for containing Covid-19.Since farmers from different parts of the district come to the district headquarters, it is not possible for the farmers to maintain social distancing and it increases chances of transmitting the virus among the farmers.

Moreover, the present arrangement is forcing the farmers to spend additional money to come to the district headquarters for getting fertiliser at subsidised rate, he rued.

The farmer further enquired why the government is not utilising its warehouses located at the sub-divisional agriculture office for storing and distributing fertiliser to the farmers.

It would ease the problem of the farmers as they would not have to travel so far and spend more money to get fertilisers.

It will also reduce the possibilities of further spread of the virus among the farmers, he added.

Another farmer said that Urea is an item under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and no person can sell fertiliser without government license.

Even if an authorised vendor sells fertiliser, he/she could not sell it above the rate fixed by the government.

However, several shops are selling urea openly at much higher rates but the government is not doing anything to check this even though such shop owners can be booked and penalised under the Act, he said.

On the other hand, a farmer from Imphal East district said that the agriculture officials are denying urea to farmers, who bring more than three land records (patta) .

The farmer urged the officials concerned to look into the matter while stating that the policy is affecting several genuine farmers.

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