Private traders cash in on urea demand, hike prices in Karimnagar

Agriculture Department officials blame it on excess procurement by a few farmers

KARIMNAGAR: Paddy farmers in the district are upset after private traders started selling urea at higher prices, allegedly by creating an artificial shortage. Though the traders have adequate stock, they are selling it at a high price by displaying ‘no stock’ boards.

In some areas, a 45-kg urea bag is being sold at Rs 320 as against its original price of Rs 265. If other fertilizers such as DAP and potash are purchased besides urea, a bag is being sold at Rs 300 by giving a Rs 20 concession.

---

Fertilizers are being supplied through DCMS, PACS and farmer seva samithis. The demand for urea went up as the sowing area of paddy has gone up in a big way in the present Yasangi season. Farmers are facing troubles as adequate urea has not been supplied to distribution centres. In some areas, whenever the stock arrived, ryots were seen standing in serpentine queues in front of the centres for their turn.

Agriculture Department officials claimed that though the stock is frequently being supplied to the centres depending on the demand, all farmers were unable to get urea due to excess procurement by a few farmers.

Doubting whether urea would be available in the coming days, some of the farmers are taking more bags than required. If a farmer required only four bags, he was lifting 10 bags, officials claimed, blaming the artificial shortage of urea to this, adding that following this, the farmers were approaching private traders.

The use of additional urea is another reason for the shortfall, officials said. Paddy sowed in the beginning of the season was not in good condition due to changes in the weather and other reasons. To overcome the problem, a few farmers are using the urea three times instead of one time, they said.