Patiala: After struggling with a DAP shortage, farmers in Punjab are now claiming that cooperative societies have failed to provide adequate urea for their wheat crop. They also blame private dealers for tagging additional items and nano urea along with urea bags during the sale. The farmers need to apply urea three to four weeks after sowing wheat and need to give a dose later. Most Punjab farmers sowed their wheat crop in November this year.
However, Punjab agriculture officers denied there is any shortage of urea in the state. During current rabi season, 13.5 LMT of urea is required by Punjab farmers, of which around 10 LMT of urea has been made available, they said.
Agriculture joint director GS Brar said 60 percent of urea is made available to Markfed, which supplies cooperative societies and the remaining 40 percent is made available to private sector. Of the total 13.5 LMT required in Punjab for the rabi season, around 11 LMT is required for wheat crop, said Brar. The first dose is given nearly a month after sowing and the next dose is given a month after the first one.
Farmer Kulwinder Singh of Sangrur district claimed urea was not available in cooperative societies. He said a farmer requires three bags of urea per acre for wheat crop, including once after 25 days of sowing wheat and later twice after a nine-day gap each.