Amid DAP, urea crunch, coop societies get 60% quota, private 40% in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 5

Cooperative societies will be distributing 60% of the much sought-after urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) in the upcoming kharif season while private traders will get just 40% for sale in the agrarian state.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the Agriculture Department chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held last evening. A notification in this regard was issued today.

The state is facing a severe shortage of fertilisers — both DAP and urea. Against the requirement of 2.50 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of DAP in the state, only 70,000 MT is available, with only 12,000 MT with the cooperative societies. Similarly, against the demand of 14.5 LMT of urea in the forthcoming kharif season, only 5.5 LMT is available, with 1.25 LMT held by cooperative societies.

Now that the rate of distribution is decided, officials say the government will ensure its timely availability to farmers.

The prices of fertilisers, especially DAP and potash (required in small quantity only in potato-growing areas), have shot up drastically. The government, fearing black marketing of these fertilisers needed for paddy, moong, cotton and maize crops, has decided to allocate the maximum share to cooperative societies.

Official sources say the CM put his foot down in the meeting last evening, saying that he wanted to strengthen the cooperative sector and more fertilisers should be sold through these societies.

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