Kakching farmers demand sufficient Urea supply
Source: Chronicle News Service
Kakching, May 14 2022:
A sit-in protest was organised by All Kakching Farmers' Welfare Association at Central Public Hall, Yumbi Macha High School Ground here on Saturday demanding adequate supply of urea at government fixed rate to paddy farmers of Kakching and its surrounding areas.
Speaking to the media in connection with the protest, a Association president Nongmaithem Chaoton informed that farmers have to line up in serpentine queues at offices of the District Agriculture Department or the DC concerned with their land deed (patta) and Aadhaar card to purchase urea forcing many to forego actual farm work.
While pointing out the paddy production generally decreases due to delay in getting and applying the fertiliser, he also explained that as urea is an essential ingredient the farmers have to buy it at exorbitant rate of Rs 1S00 to 1800 after scouting the markets.
N Chaoton lamented that farmers who want to use urea for growing vegetables and other crops are finding it hard to even get small amount of the fertiliser.
Further stating that farmer will be highly demoralised in case the government cannot address their plight, he also wondered how the state would achieve the goal of food grain self-sufficiency if adequate quantity of urea cannot be ensured to the food producers.
The president also recounted that when urea used to be sold in the open market there were no such shortages.
Thus, to solve the problem of unavailability of urea the department concerned should allow sale of urea at government-fixed rate in shops dealing in agricultural products in Kakching and surrounding areas.
Chaoton further appealed to the government to directly purchase from the farmers to .mitigate the chronic problems in selling their agricultural produce after investing huge amount of money and effort.