Telangana Demands Centre Release Fertiliser Quota Amid Severe Shortages

The Telangana state government has urgently requested the Central government to release its allocated share of fertilisers and provide additional allocations for July to resolve severe shortages impacting local farmers.

Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao wrote to Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister J.P. Nadda to address the critical supply gap that occurred between April and June during the ongoing kharif season. The shortage threatens farming operations across 55.52 lakh acres of sown land in the state.

According to Minister Nageswara Rao, the demand for fertilisers has surged this season as completed sowing reached 55.52 lakh acres, up from 52.04 lakh acres during the same period last year. However, the supplies provided to the state have failed to match the plan approved by the Central government, leading to significant deficits.

Official data reveals that Telangana faced a shortfall of 45,000 tonnes of urea, 1.04 lakh tonnes of DAP, and 2.53 lakh tonnes of complex fertilisers between April and June. The minister emphasized that DAP and complex fertilisers are vital during the initial growth stages of crops, meaning the current scarcity could cause severe difficulties for local farmers.

To help mitigate the crisis, Nageswara Rao also requested the Union Minister to allocate more than 90 per cent of the urea produced at the Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited plant, located in Ramagundam, directly to Telangana.

In a separate measure to assist farmers with bookings, the state IT department announced that those unable to book urea through the mobile application can now do so at any MeeSeva centre. Farmers can complete their bookings by paying a service fee of Rs 10, with operators assisting in the process.

To book urea at a MeeSeva centre, farmers must provide their pattadar passbook number. The operator will then retrieve their details, record the cultivated extent and crop information, and book the fertiliser by selecting the preferred dealer and required quantity. A booking ID, valid for 48 hours excluding the day of booking, will be generated after OTP verification on the farmer's registered mobile number.