Balangir farmers block roads, demand supply of urea WEDNESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2011 22:13

Balangir farmers block roads, demand supply of urea
WEDNESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2011 22:13 PNS | BALANGIR HITS: 0
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Notwithstanding the crop loss this year in Balangir district due to irregular rainfall, irate farmers, mostly of Puintala block, on Wednesday held Rastaroko before the Collectorate protesting against the shortage of urea fertiliser and its black-marketing.

A few days ago, the Balangir police had raided some godowns and arrested a Markfed official for blac- marketing of fertiliser.

“We demand that the Government provide fertiliser without further delay,” said an agitating farmer, Brundaban Naik. “The district administration is callous. We came to the local shop for fertliser, but we were told to go to Sudpara, where too we did not get it. So, we came here with our demand for supply of urea,” said another farmer, Lal Behari Kheti. “We suffered loss due to drought. Whatever crop we have, we want to save it, for which fertiliser is needed,” he added.

In Balangir district, paddy cultivation is undertaken by two methods: broadcasting and transplanting. While a majority of lands was covered by the broadcasting method, the transplanting method was targeted to be taken up in 76,000 hectares. But due to the scanty rainfall the transplanting operation could not be undertaken. It was hardly taken up in about 15,000 hectares of land in the beginning.

After the rains in August and September, farmers have taken up transplanting operation. And mostly these farmers expecting a good yield are in need of urea, explained a Government official.

It was planned that 39,760 metric tonnes (MT) of fertilisers, including 19,000 MT of urea, would be supplied during this year’s kharif crop for the district. But about 15,000 MT of urea has been supplied so far. The farmers who have carried out transplanting of paddy late need urea for the top dressing operation, said an agriculture official.

But the clamour for urea seems to be a misplaced one as the old paddy seedlings planted in the second week of September may not give a good yield and the effort may go in vain, said an official under condition of anonymity.
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