Laborers offload fertiliser from freight train. Tribune photo

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, November 25

As farmer unions agreed to allow the movement of freight and passenger trains with the interventions of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, freight train movement continued on Wednesday.

In Fazilka district, two rakes of fertiliser landed at Abohar and Fazilka while goods train carrying rice left Fazilka for Karnataka. Another empty freight train also arrived at Jalalabad to take foodgrains to other states.

After a long hiatus, the railway loading yards at Abohar and Fazilka were seen busy. The IPL Company’s DAP and urea fertiliser has reached Abohar by rail. It contains 1,200 metric tonnes of urea and 2,500 metric tonnes of DAP. This fertiliser was much needed by farmers. With the arrival of a full rake, there will be no shortage of fertiliser in the district.

Krishan Sokhal, a farmer of Sayeedwala village near Abohar said DAP was required for sowing wheat, while the same is required for Kinnow orchards next month.

Sowing of wheat in this region is delayed as it is a cotton belt where this fiber crop matures late as compared to paddy.

Chief Agriculture Officer Surinder Singh said another rake of IFFCO fertiliser also arrived at Fazilka. It contained 2,600 MT of urea and the same was being sent to the cooperative societies so that its distribution could be made to farmers of the district without any delay.

On the other hand, the authorities were also making arrangements so that fertiliser arriving for the border district is not transported to the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. As the freight trains were running, farmers would not face any shortage of fertiliser and they should not be in panic to buy it, officials said.

District Food Supply Controller Gurpreet Singh Kang said transporting of rice milled in the district has started to other states. This will be a great relief to the rice milling industry. A freight train loaded with rice had left Fazilka for Karnataka last evening. While two more special trains were proposed from Fazilka and Jalalabad to transport rice and wheat, respectively. With the commencement of food grain transportation, there will be space available in the shellers for storage of fresh rice now.