Hyderabad: The Agriculture Minister, Tummala Nageswara Rao, has instructed officials to set up more urea sale points across Telangana. This aims to meet the rising demand for urea and replicate the success of pilot distribution models tested in specific areas.
On Friday, he urged officials to improve the distribution process to prevent crowding. In areas with few Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), tokens will be given a day before based on farmers’ passbooks. This system has already helped farmers get urea without hassle, according to the Minister.
Minister Tummala stressed the importance of strict measures to stop any unfair practices in distribution. He mentioned cooperation with Cooperative and Markfed officials and close monitoring by the police and vigilance departments to stop black marketing and maintain transparency.
During a recent visit to Delhi, Minister Tummala discussed fertilizer issues with Union Ministers and senior officials. He highlighted the urgent need for urea during the current crop cycle and requested 2 lakh metric tonnes over the next 20 days. The central government agreed to supply the needed amount from four import ships arriving at various East Coast ports.
Besides imports, an additional 30,000 metric tonnes from local production units have been approved to make up for the temporary closure of the Ramagundam RFCL fertilizer plant. The central authorities promised quick action to restart the RFCL unit within 3–4 days to stabilize the supply chain.
Minister Tummala reported that 11,181 metric tonnes of urea have arrived at railway stations in Karimnagar, Miryalaguda, Warangal, and Peddapalli through GSFC, IPL, CIL-Karaikal, and CIL-Kakinada. Another 9,039 metric tonnes are expected to reach Warangal, Sanathnagar, and Karimnagar from MFL, KRIBHCO, and CIL-Krishnapatnam. In the first four days of September, Telangana received 28,000 metric tonnes of urea, a significant rise from the same time last year.
A total of 8,20,112 metric tonnes of urea have been sold in the state, surpassing last year’s 7,75,157 metric tonnes. The Minister also mentioned that the state’s Secretary met with the Cabinet Secretary in Delhi to request a daily supply of 10,000 metric tonnes over the next 20 days.
Minister Tummala appealed to farmers to buy only the urea they need and not to hoard it. He assured that the government is committed to ensuring fertilizers are available on time, saying, “We are taking all necessary steps to prevent shortages and support our farmers during this crucial cultivation phase.”
