DAP shortage looms amid wheat sowing in Punjab
Amid the wheat sowing season, Punjab farmers are likely to grapple with a shortage of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), an essential chemical fertilizer.
The state needs around 5.50 lakh metric tonnes of DAP this season and has received 3.80 lakh metric tonnes from the Centre, including 2 lakh metric tonnes in stock, to date.
Punjab agriculture department director Jaswant Singh said that the department has 2 lakh metric tonnes of DAP available with them while 50,000 tonnes was in transit –which is likely to arrive within the next few days.
Ravneet Brar, national spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Kadian, said that harvesting of paddy was at its peak, and the majority of the farmers are getting ready to sow wheat.
“Amid all this, a gap of 1.75 lakh metric tonnes of DAP between the demand and availability will lead to exploitation of the farmers at the hands of private players. This will be a double whammy for farmers who firstly faced floods during paddy sowing and rainfall before the harvest,” Brar said.
Brar further claimed that the cooperative societies have been asked to clear pending dues thereof to get DAP supply from the government, which was likely to cause further delay because it was the farmers who had to pay the dues. “The farmers will be able to clear pending dues of societies after selling paddy produce, and completion of payments takes a few days.”
The experts said that the availability of sufficient DAP was crucial at this time and could negatively impact the yield.
Jaswant Singh however, assured that farmers won’t face shortage as wheat sowing was already delayed owing to the late harvest of paddy.
“Only 30-35% of the paddy in the Malwa region — which has got the biggest paddy acreage in the state – have been harvested so far. This season, wheat sowing is likely to continue until November 30 and therefore acute shortage of DAP will not be an issue,” he said.
He further informed that around 45-50% of paddy has been harvested in the state to date.
As per the agriculture department of the 3.80 lakh metric tonnes, 1.8 lakh has been distributed to the farmers.
“We have already have got some amount of DAP stock. Around 1.75 lakh metric tonnes of DAP, which is November’s allocation, will be received as the month progresses. Since sowing is likely to be delayed, this year, the department will be able to manage the DAP supply.”
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
