Urea crisis triggers crop vulnerability, black market surge in Telangana

Telangana faces a worsening urea crisis, leaving crops nutrient-stressed and vulnerable to pests. Farmers are turning to black market purchases at inflated prices, while diversion to industries and rising demand from expanded Kharif sowing have deepened the shortage across the State

Hyderabad: The urea crisis in Telangana has intensified crop vulnerability to pests and diseases, with fields showing widespread yellowing due to nutrient stress. This weakening of plants has made them more susceptible to infestations, threatening agricultural yields. While well-to-do farmers are coping by purchasing urea on the black market at inflated prices of up to Rs 500 per 45-kg bag, others are struggling to secure supplies.

Farmers in villages near the Andhra Pradesh border, such as Kodad, Miryalaguda, and Nelakondapalli, have sourced urea from Jaggayyapeta in Krishna district, where distributors bundle one bag of urea with two litres of nano urea. “The situation is relatively better in Andhra Pradesh,” said KVNL Narasimha Rao, a farmer from Nelakondapalli. He noted that farmers who anticipated the crisis stockpiled urea for the season. However, panic buying has surged as paddy fields, transplanted about two weeks ago, urgently require top-dressing with urea. For many farmers, the lack of timely application has led to crops losing their lush green colour and turning yellowish, signalling potential large-scale damage.

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To manage distribution, the Telangana government decentralised urea supply in certain areas from primary agriculture cooperative societies to gram panchayat levels, aiming to ease crowd control for local officials. However, the scale of the crisis has overwhelmed these attempts. Kharif sowing has expanded considerably, with paddy cultivation rising in a big way during Kharif 2025, fuelled by improved irrigation from projects like Jurala, Srisailam, and Nagarjunasagar.

Telangana’s high urea consumption—170 kg per acre compared to the national average of 100–120 kg—has added to the crisis. The State’s estimated urea requirement is 10.48 lakh metric tonnes, but allocations have fallen short.

Compounding the issue, urea priced at Rs 266.50 per 45-kg bag is being diverted allegedly to industrial uses such as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), resins, and pharmaceuticals, further limiting agricultural availability. Reports of black market sales at Rs 500 per bag have emerged in areas like Mannegudem and Mariped Bangla in Mahabubabad district, thus deepening the crisis.