Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 19
Punjab Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha said that Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has assured 10 rakes of DAP (Diammonium Phosphate), five rakes of NPK (Complex Fertilizer) and two of SSP (Single Super Phosphate) within three to four days to the state.
Considering Punjab’s demand, the union minister also assured adequate supply of urea in November and December, Nabha said after the meeting.
Nabha said he informed Mandaviya that the total requirement of DAP for Rabi crops is 5.50 lakh MT, out of which 4.80 lakh MT is required during October and November for timely sowing of wheat crop.
“DAP is an essential input for ensuring optimum productivity of wheat, which is sown on an area of about 35 lakh hectares in Punjab,” he said.
Alleging “step-motherly treatment towards Punjab”, he said the Centre has allocated only 1.97 LMT of DAP against demand of 2.75 LMT in October.
“Punjab has 0.74 LMT opening stock of DAP on October 1 as compared to 3.63 LMT last year (October 1, 2020).
“It is being felt likely shortfall of this crucial input may appear for the sowing of wheat crop and only 20-25 days have been left for complete sowing of wheat,” he said demanding an additional allocation of 1.50 LMT of DAP in October expeditiously,” he said
According to Nabha, Punjab got only 80,951 MT DAP against an allocation plan of 1,97,250 MT, which is 41 per cent of the total allocation while Haryana got 89 per cent (Supply Plan 58650, Despatched 52155) of total allocation. Uttar Pradesh, he said, got 170 per cent (Supply Plan 60000, dispatched 102201) and Rajasthan 88 per cent (Supply Plan 67890, dispatched 59936).
“This shows step-motherly treatment meted out to Punjab on part of the Union government,” he said.
“We apprised the union minister that Punjab, known as the food bowl of the nation, is being allocated a much lesser quantity of DAP in comparison to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. We have been writing to the union government for the past six months on this sensitive issue. We also informed the union minister that shortage of DAP on the onset of Rabi season can lead to farmers’ unrest,” he said, expressing hope that the Centre will “stand by its commitment of supplying DAP”.
Nabha also revealed that the union minister said that the shortage of DAP was due to “non-availability of the fertilizers in the international market and the Centre would ensure adequate supply of DAP to Punjab”.
“During the meeting we also demanded that the union government must repeal the black farm laws against those the farmers have been protesting for the past one year. The farmers are feeling insecure as they argue that with these farm laws, the big corporate would take away their farm lands,” Nabha said.
Regarding the issue of pink bollworm attack on the cotton crop, the minister said that the Punjab chief minister had already promised compensation to farmers.
He also informed that in order to save the cotton crop from such attacks in the future, the state is collaborating with well-known scientist Dr Markandey to adopt the latest tube technology.
Financial Commissioner Development DK Tiwari and Director Agriculture Sukhdev Singh were present at the meeting.
