Notwithstanding the promise by the Union ministry of fertilisers, Punjab and Haryana continue to suffer from shortage of some fertilisers due to panic buying by farmers during the last three years.
Recently, fertilisers secretary, Atul Chaturvedi had assured the officials from two states that there would be no shortage in the coming rabi season.
Sources in the agriculture department of Punjab told FE that fertilisers would only be required later this month when sowing of wheat begins. The Centre has promised to supply 1.79 lakh metric tonne of di ammonium phosphate (DAP) to the state within this month.
However, Punjab requires 5.5 lakh metric tonne of DAP for the rabi season. Similarly, Haryana hopes to get 11.15 lakh metric tonne of urea, 4 lakh metric tonne of DAP, 25,000 metric tonne of muriate of potash (MOP) and 42,500 metric tonne of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK) for rabi crop.
Interestingly, Punjab and Haryana far exceed the national consumption pattern as far as usage of fertilisers is concerned. The national average of consumption of fertiliser is 96.4 kg per hectare of NPK.
However, Punjab tops the per hectare utilisation chart with a consumption figure of whopping 197 kg per hectare followed by neighbouring Haryana, where it is 164 kg per hectare, while states like Nagaland, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh consume less than 10 kg per hectare.
However, what has caused concern in the two states is an offer by the fertiliser ministry asking the state government to import DAP and MOP fertilisers to increase their comfort level.
It is worth mentioning that during the last three rabi seasons, both Punjab and Haryana had experienced a shortage of DAP.
In view of shortage of fertilisers during the last three years, the Haryana government has already identified Hafed as a nodal agency for the import of DAP or MOP through the national designated agency Indian Potash Limited (IPL).
Hafed is tipped to import 3 lakh metric tonnes of DAP and the apex body has deposited the cost of 2 lakh metric tonne DAP to the IPL , while remaining cost is likely to be deposited soon. Besides, Hafed has deposited the cost of 25,000 metric tonne DAP with Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO).
However, Punjab has expressed reluctance to import fertilisers on its own through Indian Potash Limited.
It may be noted that fertilisers are highly subsidised and no state would like to go on their own to buy from international markets and hence the imbroglio over the fertilisers import.