Farmers forced to purchase add-on chemicals with DAP

As farmers run helter-skelter in search of the “elusive” di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), which has to be applied to wheat fields for a good crop, they are now being forced to buy the fertiliser at rates that are 10-48 per cent higher than the market rate.

Farmers in different parts of the state are complaining that, on the one hand, there is a severe shortage of DAP, which had to be applied in fields before November 15, and on the other hand, those dealers who have the fertiliser are forcing them to buy it as a bundled package with “irrelevant chemicals”.

As a result, they are forced to pay anything between Rs 1,500-Rs 2,100 per bag of DAP even though its cost is Rs 1,350 for a bag.

Kulwinder Singh, a farmer from Nadampur village in Bhawanigarh, alleged that farmers in and around Samana and Bhawanigarh are being forcibly sold “growth promoter chemicals” worth Rs 700 with each bag of DAP. “The government is doing nothing about it. No raids are being conducted on unscrupulous dealers even when we have brought the issue to the notice of the district agriculture officers,” he said.

Another farmer, Gurbakshish Singh from Bimbar village near Nabha, too, alleged the same. “There is panic among farmers and the coming days are very crucial. If the government fails to supply as per the requirement, the wheat crop will be adversely hit,” he rued.

Gokal Prakash Gupta, general secretary of Agri Inputs Dealers Association, Punjab, when asked about this forcible sale of chemicals to farmers along with DAP, said that this was how the private companies were supplying DAP to them — as bundled packs with other chemicals and that they had no option.

“Till 2019, there was no system of selling DAP in a fixed ratio between government (through cooperative societies) and private traders. As a result, private traders get the supply from private companies, while government-owned cooperatives supply to agriculture cooperative societies. If the sale is open, then chances of such practices are greatly reduced,” he said.

Interestingly, the cooperative societies too are getting very limited supply of DAP. Members of these societies say that only 30-50 per cent of their demand is being met. “There are 3,520 societies, but some societies have still not received supplies, while most others have a supply lower than the demand,” said Bahadur Singh, president of Cooperative Societies Employees Union.

According to information gathered by The Tribune, the total DAP requirement for the upcoming rabi marketing season is 5.5 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT). From July to October 26, only 2.35 LMT has been supplied to Punjab by the Centre. Other than this, 60,000 MT of a substitute of DAP had been supplied. No wonder Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann rushed to Delhi last evening to meet Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers JP Nadda to seek immediate release of DAP.

Official sources in the government said that they expect only around 70,000 to 1 LMT of DAP to be supplied till November 15, which still leaves a shortfall in supply. This has the potential to further agitate the farmers, who have already been protesting against the tardy paddy procurement.

Take tough action: Minister to Department

Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, when asked about the farmers’ allegations of being forced to buy other chemicals with DAP, said that he has asked his department to take strictest possible action if such allegations are found to be true