'No fertilizer shortage'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 25 2021: Informing that the Centre has already sanctioned 5,24,790 bags of fertilizers to the State for pre-kharif and kharif season, Agriculture Minister Oinam Lukhoi has ruled out any possible shortage of fertilizers in the State.

Speaking to media persons at Sanjenthong Agriculture office today, Lukhoi said that the State Government has received permit to ship in 5,24,790 bags of fertilizers from the Namrup factory for the current year.

Clarifying to the report published in some section of media that a large number of Urea bags are currently stranded at Jiribam railway station, Oinam Lukhoi said that two (railway) racks of fertilizers sanctioned for pre-kharif season have already been brought to the department's godown.

One rack of fertilizers has been distributed to farmers of both the hills and the valley but the other rack is in the department's godown untouched as not much fertilizers are used in the pre-kharif season, he said.

Altogether nine racks of fertilizers should be shipped to Imphal before the onset of rainy season and one rack has already reached Imphal.

But the other racks have been delayed at Jiribam as transporters launched a cease work strike following attacks on two tankers by armed miscreants on Imphal-Jiribam highway, Lukhoi said.

As trucks were not available because of the cease work strike, the fertilizer bags unloaded from the train were kept at Jiribam railway station with tarpaulin cover, he said.

Nonetheless, the fertilizers bags were loaded on trucks today and some have already started moving towards Imphal, he added.

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