Farmers across Punjab are grappling to secure the supply of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) amid erratic supply ahead of wheat sowing season.With only a few days left for wheat sowing to start, HT has learnt that of the allocated share of 4.68 lakh metric tonnes, Punjab has received just 47% of the share and the state agencies have no DAP left.
DAP is a key fertiliser which is used to provide growing crops with the requisite levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.
“At present, there is no DAP available in the state. So far, Punjab has received only 47% of the allocated DAP for the rabi season from the union government,” a Markfed official said, pleading anonymity.
The farmers have to line up every day outside the cooperative societies to get the DAP, only to leave disappointed.
Amarjeet Singh Mann, a farmer from Channo village in Sangrur district, has been trying to arrange DAP and said private players have jacked up the rates.
“We are being compelled to buy from private players who are out to loot the poor farmers. Against the subsidised rate of ₹1,350 per bag, the private players at Samana town in Patiala are selling one DAP bag of 50 kg for ₹1,800 to ₹1,900. Moreover, the private players are forcing the farmers to buy some other fertilisers, in addition, to getting DAP from their shop,” he alleged. Similarly, another distressed farmer, Nayab Singh from Patiala, said, “I need immediate DAP for 15 acres of land to sow wheat. I have already harvested paddy and prepared the fields. I will start sowing wheat from October 25.”
Data accessed by the HT reveals that out of the allocated 4.68 LMT, Punjab has received 2.23 LMT as of Tuesday.
“In October, the state has received only 68,000 metric tonnes of DAP against the allocated 2.5 lakh metric tonnes for the month. All the DAP fertilizer received to date has already been distributed among the farmers. We have been informed that around 1 lakh metric tonnes is en route and is expected to reach Punjab by the end of this month,” a senior official, privy to the situation, added.
Markfed officials added that they are hoping that the Union government sends the promised supply by the end of this month.
Punjab as per its estimates needs 4.8 LMT just for wheat, while 80,000 is for vegetable crops.
As per reports, the Red Sea crisis has also affected the supply of fertiliser. However, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan last week clarified that there was sufficient availability of key fertilisers, such as urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), despite delays in shipments due to geopolitical tensions and disruption of Red Sea routes amid the ongoing conflict between Israel on one side and Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis on the other.
“The shipments are delayed... However, there is no shortage of fertilisers. We have made arrangements and there is enough supply for the rabi season,” Chouhan said.
Fertiliser secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra said India is re-routing DAP shipments from Morocco via South Africa after Red Sea routes were disrupted, adding 21 days to delivery times to western ports. India imports about 60% of its 5.5 million tonnes of DAP demand for the rabi season from Russia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and China, Mishra said.
