JEYPORE: Farmers of Koraput district, who are yet to recover from rain damage to their standing crops, are now facing fertiliser shortage. Out of the required 32,000 MT, the State Government has so far supplied 24,622 MT of fertilisers in the district.
According to reports, paddy was cultivated in 45,000 hectares of land in Jeypore, Borriguma, Kotpad and Kundra blocks under Jeypore sub-division and the standing crops were damaged due to continuous rains over the last two months. The crops did not grow as expected due to inclement weather conditions and they need more fertilisers for normal growth now.
Farmers had used fertilisers like urea and Muriate of Potash (MOP) in July, which were washed away in the rains. Currently, 70 per cent of crops have turned yellow and farmers are apprehensive that rains have severely harmed the quantity and quality of the yield.
They are now running from pillar to post to procure fertilisers from government outlets in Kotpad, Jeypore, Amabaguda, Digapur, Borrigumma, Kumuli and Dangarpaunsi areas. However, dealers at these outlets informed that there is no supply of fertilisers from the Agriculture department. At present, 200 tonnes of urea and 200 tonnes of MOP are required by farmers to revive the crops. As the State Government agencies have failed to meet the demands of the farmers, private traders have jacked up prices of fertilisers.
Two weeks back, fertilisers were available at both government and private fertiliser outlets but farmers alleged that the stocks were diverted to Malkangiri and Umerkote. Pani Panchayat leaders of Dhanpur, Padampur, Kotpad, Bagidiri, Khotalapadar, Kusumi, Damanahandi, Sashandi and Kotpad alleged that the Agriculture department did not review the fertiliser requirement following rains. They demanded that the Government should send additional stock to the district immediately. PRIs of Jeypore and Kotpad have urged MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati to raise the issue in Assembly.
An official in charge of fertiliser management in Jeypore, KCH Panda, said the State Government has been informed about the fertiliser shortage and the stocks would be dispatched soon.
