Many farmers in IW still deprived of urea
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 23 2022: Although cultivation of paddy has already begun across the State, subsidised urea is not available at many villages of Imphal West district.

A joint team of the Nongchup Imphal Loumi Sinmi Chaokhat Thourang Lup (NILSCTL) and media persons visited some villages of Imphal West district today.

Farmers of these villagers told the joint team that subsidised urea is still unavailable to them.

One Achom Ibemhal who was tending to her paddy fields at Kangmong Tong-bram Leikai which is located within Konthoujam AC said that subsidised urea is still inaccessible to most farmers of her locality notwithstanding the Government's repeated assurance to provide subsidised urea in time and in adequate quantity.

There are nine villages in Kangmong and most farmers of the area are still deprived of subsidised urea, she said.

"There were reports that the MLA distributed fertilizers and some people might have received subsidised fertilizers but we did not get a single bag so far", Ibemhal.

"We have no idea with whom we should consult and from where we should procure subsidised area", she said.

Thangjam Sanjoy of Moidangpok Khullen Mayai Leikai said that 90 per cent of the villagers are farmers but majority of them are still deprived of fertilizers.

There are around 100 paris of paddy fields at Moidangpok Khullen Mayai Leikai and there were reports of allotment of 100 bags of fertilizers for the 100 paris, Sanjoy said.

He then asked how 100 bags of urea can meet the requirements of 100 paris.

He said that at least four bags of urea are required for every pari of paddy cultivation.

Khuraijam Ram of Maklang lamented that it took him three days to procure just one bag of urea from the District Agriculture Office, Lamphelpat.

It took one full day in obtaining serial number, another full day in obtaining token and one more day in obtaining fertilizer.

In addition to spending three full days, one had to pay Rs 600-700 in procuring a single bag of urea, if one takes into account the transportation charge, Ram said.

There were reports of opening of urea distribution cells at District Agriculture Offices following public uproar but some untoward incidents occurred at the District Agriculture Office, Imphal West even after the purported opening of urea distribution cells, he said.

Saying that it is not clear how many bags of urea have been distributed to the farmers of Imphal West so far, Ram expressed keen desire for the authorities concerned to streamline distribution of subsidised fertilizers in the interest of farmers.

The joint team also visited Sairemkhul, Lairenkabi, Phayeng and Phumlou.

Farmers of these villagers too narrated similar stories of unavailability of subsidised fertilizers.

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