Farming activities have gained momentum in the state owing to early monsoon this year.
Credit: DH File Photo
As agricultural activity gains momentum across the state due to an early monsoon, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday wrote a letter to Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers, Jagat Prakash Nadda, urging the Centre to expedite the supply of the 1,65,541 metric tonnes (MT) of urea to meet the state’s pressing agricultural needs.
Siddaramaiah’s letter pointed out that with the state preparing for what is expected to be a bumper sowing season, particularly in maize—a crop that demands high levels of nutrients—the shortage of urea was putting immense pressure on the farming community, and the shortfall in fertiliser supply has become a matter of urgency.
The chief minister’s letter dated July 25, underlined that while the Union government had allocated 11,17,000 MT of urea for the Kharif season, only 5,16,959 MT had been released so far.
“This left a significant gap of 1,65,541 MT, which is much lower than the state’s actual requirement of 6,80,655 MT for the period from April to July. Siddaramaiah expressed concern that the ongoing urea deficit was severely disrupting agricultural operations, especially during this crucial sowing period,” the letter read.
The chief minister also emphasised that the situation was exacerbated by the fact that several fertiliser companies had already communicated their inability to meet the Centre’s allocation for the state.
Siddaramaiah outlined the factors that had significantly increased the demand for urea in the state. First, he noted that the early monsoon had triggered an early sowing season, besides the early release of water in key irrigation areas such as Tungabhadra, Cauvery, and Krishna, which had led to early sowing activities and forced farmers to begin planting ahead of schedule.
Furthermore, the area under cultivation for various crops had expanded this year compared to previous seasons. One of the main concerns was the growth in maize cultivation, a crop that requires a lot of fertiliser, which had increased by about two lakh hectares.
Siddaramaiah also pointed out that around 13,000 hectares of pre-Kharif land had to be resown, which added to the increased demand for fertilisers. These factors have put extra pressure on the already limited supply of urea in the state.
“These factors had not only added to the urgency for fertilisers but also exacerbated the problem,” the letter noted.