Urea price haunts farmers, again
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 14 2013: While scarcity of petroleum products may be attributed to natural disaster along the Imphal-Dimapur section of the National Highway and to a certain extent agitations impeding transportation of goods, Government of Manipur's alleged callousness in shipping in fertilizers are forcing farmers to procure the essential agriculture items at exorbitant rate.

It is said that the State Government's earlier assurance to ensure availability of urea at Rs 286.60 per bag this season is likely to remain as a false promise for farmers are literally grabbing requisite quantity of fertilizers in the price range of Rs 650 to Rs 700 due to arrival of peak paddy plantation season.

According to an informed source in the Agriculture Department, the Government of India had fixed urea sale price in Manipur at Rs 289.36 but the said amount is improbable for cost of transportation of the same along the Imphal-Jiribam route from the Silchar (Assam) procurement centre necessitates selling of urea to the farmers at no less than Rs 443.85 per bag failing which the agent would face Rs 145.89 a bag.

Urea bags at godown

Taking into account remoteness of implementing the Central Government's directive on urea price, the State Government based on a proposal from the Agriculture Department reportedly decided to enable the farmers purchase urea at Rs 286.60 per bag.

Consequently one Ms Surbhi Logistics of Thangal bazar was entrusted to transport State's requirement of 2 lakhs urea bag, conveyed the source adding that despite the noble attempt there are no urea stock at the State's disposal thereby constraining the farmers to purchase the essential items at the exorbitant rate as they would be risking the quantum of product in case fertilizers are not applied in time.

Noting that farmers have to fork out upto Rs 700 per bag of urea at the juncture to ensure their hard toil reaps some benefit, the source conceded that delay by the Government of Manipur in stockpiling urea is one of the factors for the distressful situation besetting the farmers.

Highlighting that past experiences of Manipur remaining cut-off due to deplorable condition of both the national highways during the monsoons coupled with frequent law and order uncertainty should have been a justifiable reason for the State Government to apprise the Central authorities on the need to ship in requisite urea well in advance, the source regretted lack of initiative to make such an arrangement for the past many years.

Revealing that the proposed Rs 286.60 per bag urea shipment process commenced only in June first week this year, the source also proposed that there should be investigation on how urea is presently commanding upto Rs 700 when there is not a single bag in the Government stock.

Further citing report that Ms Surbhi Logistics would be hiring trucks from former urea dealers/transporters as the nominated transport agency do not have adequate fleet to simultaneously ship in the estimated urea load, the source also opined that constant monitoring is necessary for information has been received about private dealers and former agents continuing the ship in urea.