The untold misery of farmers continues

Warangal: Notwithstanding the favourable weather conditions prevailing in the region for a bountiful harvest, there was no end to the untold misery of the farmers as they continue to wait agonising hours in the serpentine queues to fetch fertilizer.

Even though the State Government claims that there was no short supply of urea, the situation in several villages appears to be grim as the farmers had to make regular visits to primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS).

It may be mentioned here that urea is used to improve the quality of soil by providing nitrogen to advance the growth.

Farmers in the region use urea as a crop nourishing fertiliser for paddy, cotton and maize, the predominant crops in the erstwhile Warangal district.

The PACS, which get the stocks of urea from the agriculture department, sell it to farmers at a cost of Rs 266 for a 45-kg bag.

It's learnt that Warangal Urban, Rural, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu and Mahabubabad districts were not supplied with adequate stocks of urea. The shortage of urea is high in the newly carved out Mulugu district.

The cultivation of paddy in Mulugu district is 34,000 hectares. Although the district requires 27,445 metric tonnes of urea, the supplies are said to be inadequate.

Warangal Urban and Rural districts need around 55,000 metric tonnes as the farmers in these districts have taken up the cultivation of paddy in 46,000 hectares. In Mahabubabad district, the farmers cultivated paddy in 11,000 hectares and maize in 14,000 hectares.

According to officials, the district requires 11,980 metric tonnes. The farmers in Jayashankar Bhupalpally, who were cultivating paddy in 24,000 hectares require 9,800 metric tonnes of urea.

Against this backdrop, farmers had to run from pillar to post to procure urea. The situation is being well exploited by the traders who were not only demanding additional amount but also forcing the farmers to purchase other fertilisers and pesticides.

A farmer Agaboina Chinna Venkanna of AR Thanda was bitten by a snake while waiting in queue to purchase urea at Gudur mandal headquarters in Mahabubabad district on September 26. Desperate to procure urea, he went to mandal headquarters at about 4 am and suffered snake bite while standing in the queue.

Farmers unable to stand hours together in queues to purchase urea waited under shade of trees placing their footwear in queue at Thimmampet village under Duggondi mandal in Warangal Rural district on Monday.

Meanwhile, the district authorities continue to claim that there was no short supply of urea as they have been monitoring the supplies day-to-day basis. The officials said that farmers fearing shortage are lifting more stocks that they require.