Telangana stares at urea crisis; Thummala writes to Centre seeking urgent intervention

Facing an acute urea shortage amid Kharif sowing, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao has appealed to the Centre for urgent intervention. Telangana has received only 3.06 LMT out of 5 LMT allocated so far, sparking concern among farmers

Hyderabad: With Kharif sowing underway and fertilizer stocks depleting rapidly, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao has urged the Centre to act immediately to avert a looming urea crisis in Telangana.

In letters addressed to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda, and Union Ministers from Telangana G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Thummala appealed for urgent steps to address the acute shortage of urea during the ongoing agricultural season.

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The Minister noted that the Centre had allocated a quota of 5 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of urea to Telangana for April, May, and June, but only 3.06 LMT had been supplied so far—leaving a deficit of approximately 1.94 LMT. This shortfall, he said, was severely impacting farmers, who are already struggling to secure adequate fertiliser for their crops

For July, the Centre has planned to supply 1.60 LMT of urea to Telangana, of which 60 per cent will be imported. However, the State government has expressed concern that no ships have been allocated for the transportation of the imported stock yet, raising fears of further delay.

Thummala warned that any delay in supply could escalate the crisis, particularly during this crucial sowing period. “The urea shortage is causing widespread anxiety among farmers who depend on timely fertilizer availability for Kharif crop cultivation,” he said, urging the Centre to expedite the supply.

He specifically requested the allocation of ships to transport the 0.97 LMT of imported urea meant for July, and sought an increase in the supply of domestic urea from Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) from the current 30,800 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes.

In addition, the Minister appealed for an additional quota to compensate for the shortfall from April to June. “The Central Government must act swiftly to resolve the urea shortage and support Telangana’s farmers during this critical agricultural season,” he said.