Bhubaneswar: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday accused the BJP government in Odisha of failing to ensure adequate fertiliser supply during the ongoing kharif season, alleging that shortages of urea and DAP have left farmers across the state struggling at a crucial stage of cultivation.
Addressing a press conference, senior BJD leaders Arun Sahoo, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Sanjay Das Burma alleged that poor planning and administrative lapses have resulted in an acute scarcity of fertilisers, forcing farmers to wait in long queues and purchase essential farm inputs at inflated prices in the black market.
Arun Sahoo claimed that Odisha cultivates paddy over nearly 39 lakh hectares during the kharif season, requiring around 11.43 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers. However, he alleged that only about 1.81 lakh metric tonnes have been supplied so far, creating a serious shortage across the state.
Criticising the BJP’s “double engine” government slogan, Sahoo remarked that it had become a “trouble engine” for farmers. He further alleged that black marketing has flourished due to inadequate supply, claiming that while a 45-kg bag of urea is officially priced at Rs 270 through cooperative societies, it is being sold for up to Rs 600 in the open market.
He also questioned why Odisha farmers are facing shortages despite the presence of fertiliser production facilities, including those operated by PPL, IFFCO and the Talcher fertiliser plant, alleging that fertilisers produced in the state are being diverted elsewhere.
Sahoo further claimed that the cost of cultivation has increased significantly, alleging that expenditure on fertilisers has risen from around Rs 3,000 per acre in 2014 to between Rs 7,000 and Rs 7,500 per acre at present.
Echoing the concerns, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak alleged that the state government has effectively acknowledged its inability to supply adequate urea to farmers. He argued that replacing urea with complex fertilisers is not a practical solution, as urea contains 46 per cent nitrogen compared with about 21 per cent in complex fertilisers. Nayak also alleged poor coordination between the Agriculture and Cooperation departments.
Sanjay Das Burma alleged that despite an existing national framework for fertiliser distribution, the Odisha government has failed to ensure timely availability during the peak transplantation period. He claimed that farmers in districts including Sundargarh, Bargarh, Sonepur, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur are spending nights outside cooperative societies in the hope of obtaining fertilisers.
He further alleged that several cooperative societies are distributing fertilisers to only 30 to 35 farmers each day despite heavy demand, and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene an immediate high-level meeting to resolve what he described as a major fertiliser crisis.
The BJD also demanded that fertilisers produced at the two plants in Paradeep be given priority for distribution within Odisha instead of being supplied to other states. The opposition party warned that it would launch statewide protests if the alleged shortages are not addressed promptly.
