Urea shortage leaves Telangana tenant farmers in crisis

The urea shortage in Telangana has hit tenant farmers hard as they lack passbooks to claim quotas. Forced to rely on officials or private vendors, many face reduced supply, inflated black market prices and are left struggling to sustain cultivation

Hyderabad: The urea shortage urea shortage in the State has severely impacted tenant farmers, who do not have passbooks in their names to claim equitable quotas along with landowners. Dependent on officials and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), they receive little support from passbook holders, who rarely prefer to join the queue for tenants’ share. As a result, tenants, who form a substantial portion of every village, are suffering in this crisis.

According to the 2022 Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV) survey, tenant farmers make up about 36 per cent of surveyed farmers, equating to roughly 22 lakh statewide. Their tenancy status is undocumented, and due to informal leases and lack of legal recognition, they find themselves at the receiving end.

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Consequently, tenant farmers are increasingly turning to private vendors to meet their fertiliser needs.

Unlike landowners with formal documentation, tenants are often denied dedicated quotas, typically just one 45-kg bag per person, irrespective of cultivated acreage. Reports from districts such as Mahabubabad and Nalgonda highlight tenants farming 3-7 acres receiving urea sufficient for only 1-3 acres. This forces them to either skip applications or buy in the black market at Rs 450 to Rs 550 per bag. In some areas, officials are suggesting them to adjust with 24 kg of urea (about half a bag) per acre, as per recommended dosages for crops like paddy.

This is in contrast with actual practice, where average consumption is around 170 kg per acre. Urea use has gone up due to soil degradation and water-intensive paddy cultivation. Tenants expect quick yields for short-term gains by using higher fertiliser dosages. Distribution through PACS and fertiliser outlets depends on Aadhaar, passbooks, or tokens, credentials that many tenants do not possess. Vulnerable groups, including women and children, wait in queues overnight only to return empty-handed.

For instance, tribal farmer Banoth Veeranna, who has leased eight acres in Mulakalapalli, Mahabubabad district, was given a single 45-kg bag and asked to manage, despite demanding more. Officials cited the 24-kg-per-acre recommendation, leaving him in dire straits.