Paddy season sets in, Urea transportation in limbo
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 18 2023: Although paddy cultivation has already set in with the arrival of seasonal or monsoon rainfall, imposition of blockade on National highway and curfew in several districts have been posing formidable hurdles to transportation of Urea.

Assistant Fertilizer Officer Narengbam Shantakumar told The Sangai Express that the Ministry of Agriculture sanctioned 20,000 MT of Urea for this year's Kharif season against the State's proposal for 29,000 MT .

Notably, the Ministry of Agriculture sanctioned 22,000 MT of Urea last year.

Urea allocation has been cut down for all States this year in line with the Government of India's initiative to reduce use of fertilizer, Shantakumar said.

The total allocation of 20,000 MT was sanctioned in April, May and June.

The Ministry of Agriculture allocated 8700 MT of Urea from Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Company and Indorama Company in April, followed by 6540 MT in May and 6500 in June.

However, the allocated Urea could not be shipped to Manipur on account of the violent crisis which erupted on May 3 .

The allocation made in April could not be shipped to the State during the same month due to paucity of fund.

The department was planning to start shipping Urea from May but the violent crisis which erupted on May 3 and the subsequent highway blockade and curfew have been posing serious hurdles to transportation of Urea, Shantakumar said.

Nonetheless, a certain quantity of Urea has been shipped in through private dealers.

However, 1320.795 MT of Urea transported by private dealers from Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Company are currently stranded on Imphal--Dimapur highway at Khatkhatti on account of the highway blockade at Kangpokpi, he said.

But 2635.785 MT of Urea brought by train till Jiribam have reached Imphal.

The department has been closely monitoring movement of all Urea consignments, he said.

There are 31 active (Urea) dealers in the State including nine in Imphal East, seven in Imphal West, four each in Bishnupur and Thoubal, five in Kakching and two in Senapati.

Altogether 50,000 bags (2250 MT) of Urea set aside from the allocation made by the Ministry of Agriculture for 2023 Rabi season are in Agriculture Department's godown, he informed and added that these Urea bags would be used in the Kharif season.

Even though scarcity of Urea at the height of paddy season has become a chronic issue in the State, Agriculture Department has been working very hard to avoid shortage or scarcity of Urea this season, Shantakumar said.

On being enquired if there is any apprehension about scarcity of Urea in the State in case the prevailing situation lingers, the Assistant Fertilizer Officer maintained that there would not be any shortage of Urea this year.

Agriculture Department has already shipped in adequate quantity of nano-Urea and necessary arrangement has been made to ship in the full quantity of Urea allocated to the State this year, Shantakumar added.

Majority of the farmers are now aware of the benefits of nano-Urea and they would be using nano-Urea this year, he said.

Nano-Urea contains all the nutrients needed by plants and it is eco-friendly and does not harm soil fertility, he said.

A 45-Kg bag of Urea and 500 ml of nano-Urea have the same nutritional value, Shantakumar added.

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