Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao announced that farmers in the state received much-needed urea supplies in September. From April to September, the state acquired 7.88 lakh metric tons of urea, with 1.84 lakh metric tons arriving just last month. Previously, farmers struggled due to a shortfall in monthly urea supplies. The state government persistently communicated these issues to the Center, resulting in the additional supply this month.
In earlier months, the state received less urea than expected. For example, in April, only 1.21 lakh metric tons out of 1.71 lakh were delivered. May saw 0.88 lakh metric tons out of 1.61 lakh, and June had 0.98 lakh instead of 1.70 lakh metric tons. July and August followed similar patterns. The delays in import tenders, international uncertainties, and the Center’s inability to meet demands contributed to these challenges for the farmers.
The state government worked tirelessly to support the farmers. The Chief Minister met with Union Ministers, and MPs protested and submitted petitions in Parliament. State officials held ongoing discussions with the Central Fertilizer Department, which eventually led to the Center agreeing to supply additional urea.
The state had requested more urea in August to compensate for previous shortages. By the 25th of September, 1.84 lakh metric tons had arrived, surpassing the allocated 1.60 lakh metric tons. This was a significant relief for farmers. Additional supplies, totaling 19,538 metric tons, are expected from various companies like CIL, IPL-Gangavaram, NFL-Vizag, and others soon.
The urea will be distributed from railway points in Warangal, Mancherial, Gadwal, Karimnagar, Pandillapalli, Jadcharla, and Thimmapur to different districts. Moreover, another 34,700 metric tons from companies like NFL – Mangala, CIL – Grace, and others are expected by the month’s end. With a history of 9.30 lakh metric tons sold during the last Kharif season, the state has already supplied 9.50 lakh metric tons this year.
In July, urea sales were 1 lakh metric tons higher than the previous year, yet farmers faced challenges due to limited supply from the Center. Despite this, the state government distributed more urea this year than last. For instance, Nalgonda district received 5,000 metric tons, Peddapalli got 3,200 metric tons, Karimnagar received 2,580 metric tons, and Wanaparthy obtained 1,600 metric tons more than the previous year.
