Farmers face urea crunch, Dept assures distribution
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 30 2021: Even though majority of the farmers in the state have started preparation for sowing paddy in their respective fields and they require urea, the state agriculture department has been unable to distribute urea to farmers so far and hence farmers are procuring urea from market at high price.

However, an official of the department informed that distribution of urea fertilizer required for each district will begin within the next two or three days.

With the onset of Monsoon season, majority of farmers have started preparing for transplantation of paddy and urea is essential at this stage for speedy growth of plants but farmers are procuring urea from market as the department is yet to distribute the same.

The department is to make available urea at subsidised rate to farmers but delay in distribution has compelled farmers to procure the same from market at high price.

This will obviously create more financial problem to farmers.

A farmer from Kakching informed The People's Chronicle that government helped farmers every year to reduce farming expenditure by providing fertilizers at subsidised rates.

With the coming of Monsoon season in May and June months, majority of farmers in the state have started preparation for sowing seeds and transplantation of paddy.

Expenditure for paddy cultivation could be reduced if government provides required fertilizers at subsidised rates in time.

As per reports in the newspapers, urea fertilizer consignment of the state had already landed at Jiribam railway station and then brought to Imphal but the same is yet to be distributed among the farmers, the concerned farmer said and demanded distribution of urea in time.

Meanwhile, an official of agriculture department informed that urea fertilizer for utilisation by state farmers have reached Imphal from Jiribam and the same will be distributed to respective district agriculture officers for distribution among farmers in the next few days.

The official explained the main reason for delay in distribution of urea is due to preparation for cashless transaction as the same was instructed by the Government of India.

The department has created a model on how to distribute urea to farmers and a farmer has to bring land document and identity card to procure urea while farmers having no land document or do farming at Khasland has to bring document certified by village authority and identity card.

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