Urea smuggling during agriculture off season
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 11, 2023 -

Though initial report suggests that the 1435 bags of urea fertilizer seized by Sugnu pqlice were destined for Myanmar, possibility of the same consignment smuggled for use in poppy cultivation cannot be ruled out as its demand is the least during the agriculture off-season and had been officially acknowledged that large quantities of fertilizers are required for bountiful harvest of poppy crops.

Illegal poppy cultivation for opium has been in existence for almost a decade, but there is no room to doubt that its production has been increasing manifold in recent years if the daily reports of destruction of acres of poppy plantations in almost all the hill districts under the 'war on drugs' campaign are taken into consideration.

That urea fertiliser, which is a government-controlled item, might have been , siphoned off for use in poppy cultivation could be comprehended from detection of poppy fields in large tract of the hilly areas during the on-going drive.

Moreover, none other than agriculture minister Thongam Biswajit himself had conceded in a reception function organised in his honour last year about possible diversion of urea fertilizer, out of the state's quota that the government had been procuring seasonally for the farmers, for use in illegal poppy plantations.

As such, seizure of 1435 bags of fertilizer urea, each weighing 50 kg and estimated at a total of Rs 5,17,500 in the local market, underscores that the poppy growers have convenient access to urea from either the open market or from the government warehouse regardless of consistent assurances and claims by department officials of plugging the loopholes and streamlining the distribution system.

The minister had also disclosed about reports of loads of pesticides transported to specific hill districts for use in clearing grasses and shrubberies, setting on fire the dried remnants, followed by sprinkling of salt to make it suitable for growing poppies.

As per subject experts, poppy seeds are generally sown in the month of May.

So, one can't help but suspect that the urea consignment seized on Thursday morning was meant for the poppy growers and not as claimed by the truckers that they were transporting it towards Myanmar, where it is in high demand.

Along with the urgent need for the agriculture department to systemically distribute urea to prevent shortage of the same, as experienced every year by the farmers, or diversion of the same for poppy cultivation, it is suggested that field staff be despatched to verify the arable land for systemic distribution of urea without which it wouldn't be possible to prevent shortage and check the same from being sold in the grey markets.

As minister Biswajit had announced in the same event that necessary measures would be initiated to stop flow of the vital agricultural ingredient to the poppy fields, thorough investigation must be ordered into the latest seizure of the fertilizer consignment so as to ascertain whether there is nexus between the poppy planters and the department officials.

As the fight against the drug menace, poppy cultivation in particular, would remain fruitless without cohesion among the government agencies and departments, the agriculture department may contribute its mite by ensuring that the highly subsidised urea fertilizers do not fall in the hands of anti-social elements.