Urea costliest this year; farmers flock office, storm godown
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 25 2018: Aggrieved by the Agriculture Department's failure to provide fertilizer (Urea) in time even after requisite money has been deposited in advance, a large number of farmers today flocked at the office of the Agriculture Director at Sanjenthong.

On seeing the Lamphel mechanised farm locked where the Agriculture Department's fertilizers are stocked, the farmers stormed and vandalised the godown.

The farmers scattered and destroyed fertilizers found there but police somehow managed to bring the situation under control.

One Wahengbam Iboton from Kumbi said that the process of paddy transplantation has now been fully completed and there is acute necessity of applying fertilizers.

Fertilizers are available in black markets but the poor farmers cannot afford these fertilizers as the prices are uncannily high, Iboton said.

At present, Potash is sold at Rs 1300/1400 per bag and Urea at Rs 900/1000 per bag in black markets.

As compared to the previous years, prices of fertilizers are much higher this year.

"We came here to buy fertilizers from Agriculture Department at subsidised rates but we were not allowed to even enter office by security personnel saying that no fertilizer is available in stock and we should approach MLAs and Ministers", Iboton said.

It is a matter of grave concern that Agriculture Department which must work for welfare of farmers is unable to provide fertilizers in time, he decried.

Another farmer Maipak said that it is time for sprouting of young ones of paddy plants but the young ones cannot grow out of surface because of lack of fertilizers.

Other farmers who gathered at the office of the Agriculture Director said that they are being provided fertilizers in very limited quantities even though they made requisite deposits in advance.

They said that they saw a notice on the department's wall which says that no new names for distribution of fertilizers will be received/registered for some time with effect from August 24.Further enraged by the notice, the farmers marched towards the Chief Minister's office to highlight their grievances but they were blocked by police.

Later, the Agriculture Director talked with some farmers but the two sides could not arrive at any understanding.

The farmers went to Agriculture Minister V Hangkhanlian's office at the Secretariat South Block and.

they stayed there till late evening contending they would not go back until they are given fertilizers.

Even as this reporter attempted to contact the Agriculture Director on the farmers' uproar, the Director's staff suggested to contact the AFO but the AFO was not found at the office.

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