Despondency has taken over happiness in Punjab over breaking records in wheat procurement with 100 lakh tonne of wheat for the Central pool in view of shortage of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) that Punjab farmers need for ensuing kharif season.
Gujjars? agitation has affected DAP supplies from Kandla port coupled with problems in the import of DAP for the kharif season because of tight supply in the international market. While the government is considering to import mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) and triple super phosphate (TSP) to use these as a substitute of DAP, farmers rue that there was no stocks of DAP fertilizer available with the cooperative agricultural societies in the state. In Punjab, the apex federation of cooperatives, Markfed is the only agency which supplies DAP to all cooperative societies in villages. However, Gujjar?s agitation has hit the supplies of DAP to the Markfed and resultantly to cooperatives at village level in the state.
Agriculture department sources told FE that DAP is a vital nutrient for root establishment of crops and hence has to be applied at the time of sowing. Sources said that Punjab requires 3.5 lakh tonne of DAP while Haryana needs around 3 lakh tonne. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal confirmed to FE that there was ?this was a very serious matter and there indeed was a severe shortage of DAP in Punjab?.