Telangana is staring at a looming urea crisis as the ongoing kharif season picks up pace and fertiliser supplies fall critically short across the state. With farmers growing increasingly anxious, State Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao has written to the Union Government, seeking urgent intervention to ensure timely availability of urea.
In his letter addressed to Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister, Rao highlighted that the state’s agricultural activity has intensified following good monsoon onset in June, but the supply of urea has not kept pace with demand. As of now, Telangana has received only a fraction of the required quantity, threatening to disrupt sowing operations for key crops like paddy, cotton, and maize.
Rising Farmer Concerns
According to state officials, Telangana needs over 8 lakh metric tonnes of urea for the kharif season, but only around 3 lakh tonnes have been supplied so far. With major districts such as Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, and Warangal reporting severe shortages, farmer groups have begun expressing alarm.
“Farmers are lining up outside cooperative societies and dealers for hours, only to return empty-handed,” said an official from the Department of Agriculture. “If the supply gap continues, it could seriously affect crop establishment and productivity.”
State’s Request to the Centre
Minister Thummala has urged the Centre to immediately dispatch the remaining urea allocations, warning that any further delay could trigger a full-blown agrarian crisis. He also requested that Telangana be treated on priority given the state’s high irrigation coverage and dependence on urea-based fertilisation.
In his appeal, the Minister also called for:
- Release of buffer stocks from central warehouses.
- Facilitation of additional rail and road transport to speed up delivery.
- Monitoring mechanisms to prevent black marketing and hoarding.
Ground-Level Impact
Several farmers in districts like Khammam and Adilabad report that while other fertilisers such as DAP and complex nutrients are somewhat available, urea remains in acute short supply. Many fear this will either delay sowing or force them to apply sub-optimal doses, potentially affecting yields.
“Even where we get some stock, prices are shooting up due to panic buying,” said Rajesh, a farmer from Siddipet. “If the government doesn’t act now, the kharif crop could be in trouble.”
Centre Yet to Respond
As of now, the Centre has not issued an official response to Telangana’s request. However, sources in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers indicated that allocations are under review, and a decision may be taken soon in light of similar complaints from other states as well.
In the meantime, the Telangana government has instructed all district agricultural officers to closely monitor fertiliser stocks, coordinate with dealers, and report any irregularities.
A Season at Stake
With sowing operations entering a critical phase, the timely availability of fertilisers especially urea will be crucial to safeguarding crop productivity and farmer incomes. The next few weeks will determine whether Telangana can avert a major agricultural setback during this kharif season.
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