PATIALA:With over one Lakh MT urea supplies reaching Punjab in the last two days after train services resumed on Monday, farmers and pesticide dealers have heaved a huge sigh of relief.
As per data available from Markfed's state officials, the free movement of trains would ensure smooth supply of Urea in Punjab as the state has already have required supply of DAP i.e. 5.47 lakh MT in its stock. The shortage of Urea would be overcome in the next few days as the fertilizer companies started to pour in Urea bags much needed for wheat sowing. In the last two days, the state got 28 rakes that were in transit while 12 new rakes are on the way. One rake contains 2700 MT of fertilizers and as per the stock of 28 rakes, the state has got 75, 600 MT of Urea out of a shortfall of over 70 percent. Another quantity of 32400 MT is on the way.
While divulging the details of Fertilizers' stock required for Patiala District, Fertilizer Supply Officer Mr. Amarinderjit Verma said that the district need17232.65 MT of DAP at present whereas so far only 54.68 per cent 9422.25 MT has been supplied. Similarly 35052.86 MT Urea was required in the district, out of which only 11.93 percent 4180.8 MT was supplied. Mr. Verma said that two rakes have been sanctioned for Patiala district, out of which one would be supplied at Rajpura and the other at Nabha.
Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Sarveshvar Singh Mohi said that as per the directions of state, we have been supplying the coming stock to the cooperative societies on priority (80 percent) while 20 percent to private dealers.
A local trader in the fertilizer business Balwinder Singh from Nabha said that now shortage of Urea and DAP fertilizer, required for wheat crop, would also be fulfilled as the supply chain has been reinstated.
He said that although they were trying to supply of fertilizers through the road to meet the requirement of the farmers but as the road fares were costlier than freight railways, this burden had to be borne by the buyers.