Urea Crisis: Telangana’s farmers on edge, Kharif prospects of 70.6 lakh ryots hit

Telangana’s farmers face a worsening urea crisis, with protests erupting across districts as fertilizer shortages hit critical Kharif crops. Black marketing, supply chain delays, and plant shutdowns have left 70.6 lakh farmers struggling, raising fears of lower yields and unrest.

Hyderabad: Telangana’s farmers are on edge. With the urea crisis deepening and no relief in sight, they are turning restive. Violent protests in Mahabubabad and elsewhere indicate that the fertilizer shortage is likely to trigger unrest across the state. None of the 70.6 lakh farmers in the state remain untouched by the crisis.

With the Kharif (Vanakalam) paddy transplantation season nearing its end and crops reaching the critical tillering stage, top-dressing with fertilizers like urea is essential at this juncture to provide vital nitrogen. However, farmers are unable to meet these nutrient demands.

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Farmers fear a major impact on production, even as Kharif sowing reached 127.13 lakh acres by September 3, covering 95.99% of the normal 132.44 lakh acres. Inadequate nutrient support at this hour weakens crops, making them more susceptible to pests.

Nutrient deficiencies, particularly nitrogen and potassium, stress plants, reducing their natural defenses like strong cell walls and chemical deterrents, according to experts. This vulnerability allows pests to exploit weakened crops, with nitrogen deficiency impairing vigor and potassium shortage reducing pest resistance. They emphasize that balanced fertilization, tailored to crop needs and soil conditions, is critical to strengthening plants and minimizing pest damage. Despite favorable conditions—757.6 mm of rainfall against a normal 592.7 mm (28% excess) and major reservoirs holding 845.56 TMC compared to 776.60 TMC last year—the urea crisis has dashed farmers’ hopes for a robust Kharif season.

As weeding operations demand labour, farmers are instead forced to participate in road blockades, dharnas, and sit-ins at Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and Rythu Seva Kendras. Entire families, including women and school-going children, are spending hours in queues, wasting valuable manpower at a critical time adding to their financial losses.

Black Market Woes
Farmers have accused officials of mismanagement and enabling black marketing, with urea bags sold at Rs. 350– Rs 500 on the black market compared to the subsidized rate of Rs. 266.50. In Siddipet’s Hymadnagar, farmers confronted PACS staff, alleging stock diversion to the black market. In Thorrur- Mahabubabad highway, farmers staged protests by organising Rasta rokos allging that 200 bags were illegally sold. Tenant farmers and tribals without Aadhaar cards or passbooks are particularly affected, unable to access subsidized supplies.

Global supply chain disruptions resulting in delayed imports while a 78-day halt at the RFCL plant in Ramagundam strained supplies at a time when demand is surging. Paddy cultivation has increased by 72.36% to 54.79 lakh acres, alongside 44.64 lakh acres of cotton and 5.97 lakh acres of maize. The State government has introduced toll-free numbers for farmers to report supply issues and tasked district collectors with monitoring distribution, but these initiatives have failed to rescue farmers in need of urea. At places farmers who could manage to get one or two bags of urea are forced to keep themselves away from the distribution outlets. Their fingers are marked with indelible ink to avoid duplication.

The central government recently indicated the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of urea to the state, but it has not reached distribution points yet due to transportation bottlenecks. Official data shows Telangana requires 10.48 lakh metric tonnes of urea for the 2025 Kharif season. The state has sought an allotment of 11 lakh metric tonnes, but the Union government allocated 9.8 lakh metric tonnes, with 8.3 lakh metric tonnes earmarked for April to August, But the state received only 5.2 lakh metric tonnes by September 3.

With queues stretching from dawn and tempers flaring at fertilizer depots, the situation is turning volatile. The urea crisis can only be doused by ensuring adequate supplies in time, but this seems a remote possibility.

Disruptions in the operations at the RFCL plant and reduced output from Talcher and Nagarjuna Fertilisers have strained supplies. Officials made it clear that no immediate improvement in supplies can be expected as it may take at least a fortnight for the RFCL to resume production on a normal scale.