Odisha CM writes to Mandaviya on short supply of fertilizers

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday wrote to Union chemicals and fertilizers minister Mansukh Mandaviya over short supply of fertilisers to the State.

Patnaik thanked the minister for the allocation of fertilizers in the monthly movement supply plans as per the requirement of the State and supply during the month of April. However, during the month of May, June & July there has been severe short supply of different fertilizers, he said.

During the current Kharif season, till date, the State has received only 1,45,145 MT of urea against the allocation of 2,31,530 MT and agreed supply plan of 2,10,000 MT.

Similarly, during the period, the State has received 97,763 MT of DAP against the allocation of 1,52,000 MT and agreed supply plan of 1,45,000 MT, the chief minister stated.

In his letter, Patnaik further mentioned that 42,867 MT of MOP and 1,05,798 MT of NPKS has been supplied against the allocation of 67,200 MT and 1,68,400 and agreed supply plan of 60,000 MT and 1,42,000 MT, respectively.

Overall the supply of urea has been 62 per cent against the allocation and 69 per cent against the agreed supply plan. For other fertilisers, the supply amount stands in between 60 per cent and 74 per cent, he further said.

"The farmers in the State have suffered severe crop loss due to recent YAAS and several cyclonic storms during the previous years. Therefore to optimize their production the supply of the most critical input i.e. fertilizer should be as per requirement," he wrote to Mandaviya.

As mid-July to September is the peak consumption period for urea and July to August is the peak period of demand for all other fertilisers, Patnaik said the short supply of fertilisers to the State at this juncture will adversely affect the agricultural production in the State and unnecessarily invite law and order situation in most of the districts.

He sought personal intervention of the Union minister for supply of fertilizers as per the monthly agreed supply plan including the backlog of the previous months.