Bhubaneswar: With farmers facing fertilizer shortage in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today sought help from the Centre to address the issue for the ensuing karif activities in the State. In a letter to the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India, Mansukh Mandaviya, Naveen expressed thanks to the Department of Fertilizers for adequate supply of urea to Odisha until the end of July but expressed concern that there is severe shortfall in supply of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and Muriate of Potassium (MOP) to the State against the requirement.

As on July 31, the overall availability of DAP has been 69 per cent against the pro rata requirement with a shortfall of 46,877 MT. Similarly, for MOP, there was a shortfall of 1,010 MT, data in the letter revealed. The crisis has fuelled much distress in the farming community as agricultural activities had picked up pace in full swing after a good spell of monsoon following a dry spell.

As crop production in Odisha had taken a hit last year due to natural calamities like cyclonic storms YAAS, JAWAD and GULAAB, farmers in the State were hoping to compensate for the losses with a near normal monsoon this time. Therefore, provision of fertilizers as per requirement assumes critical importance at this juncture. As August and September happen to be peak demand periods for various fertilizers, short supply could adversely affect crop production in the State, the CM expressed in the letter while appealing for the Minister's personal intervention in the matter.

"I request your personal intervention for enabling the supply of the
fertilizers to the state as per monthly requirement including the backlog
of the previous months in the greater interest of the farmers," the letter read.

In July, supply of DAP was  1,08, 123 MT against requirement of 1,55,000 MT. Likewise for MOP where 58,990 MT was available against the need for 60,000 MT.