TN govt should arrange adequate supply of farm inputs: TAITA

Tiruchirapalli, May 28 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Agro-Input Traders Association (TAITA) today demanded that the state government should arrange adequate supply of farm inputs on a war-footing.

At a meeting held here, the association said a delegation would soon meet Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and submit a memorandum in this regard.

Briefing the media, Association president P Rengasamy said agricultural activity would be hampered if shortage of fertilizers, especially DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate), Urea and Super phosphate continued in the state.

Highlighting the amount of fertilizers required for the state in the year, he said the requirement of DAP would be around four lakh tonnes of which urea is nine lakh tonnes and other basic fertilizers about five lakh tonne.

Urging the government to use Essential Commodities Quota(EC)to allocate more urea from Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd, Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd and others, Mr Rengasamy said the companies like Spic, FACT and Madras Fertilizer Ltd were not in a situation to provide the required amount of fertilizers due to non-availability of the raw materials like Phosphoric Acid from the international market.

The association also urged the Centre to arrange for direct imports of Urea and DAP rather than wasting money and time on chemical plants, that import the raw materials like phosphoric acid from USA, Canada, Russia and the Middle East to make finished products.

Urging the Chief Minister to exclude the agri-inputs from the purview of VAT (Value Added Tax), Mr Rengasamy said VAT would directly burden the farming community.

Fertilizers was normally covered under Essential Commodities Act of 1985 and their Maximum Retail Price was fixed and controlled by this Act, he added.

He said the profit generated through the sale of pesticides was also meagre and the levy of VAT would not be a worthwhile proposition for the government as a revenue.

The association called upon the state agriculture department to be more vigilant, as sale of spurious and bogus varieties of farm inputs to the poor agriculturists were taking place on a rampant scale.

Mr Rengasamy said remote rural areas were more prone to certain unauthorised dealers selling spurious fertilizers.

UNI GSM AJ ARB DB2002