No scarcity of fertilizers: TN govt

Chennai, Jun 23 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu government today ruled out any scarcity of fertilizers for farmers in the state, following a recent report published in a leading newspaper.

An official release from the Agriculture Department here said for the month of June 2008, the fertilizer requirement in the state was 80,000 MT of Urea, 31,000 MT of MOP and 30,000 MT of DAP. Against these requirement, 80,500 MT of Urea, 64,000 MT of MOP and 50,486 MT of DAP was made available.

The Directorate of Agriculture has come up with a plan to supply these fertilizers district-wise and block-wise, The supply would be month-wise in the 'khariff' season to ensure adequate and timely availability to farmers through the retailers and the Primary Agricultural Co-operative Banks (PACB), in consultation wih the private suppliers and TANFED.

To ensure sufficient availability of fertilizers, particularly DAP, the state government has taken steps in advance in all honesty keeping in mind their vital role in agriculture and for the welfare of farmers, the release said.

When complaints of scarcity and profiteering were received, the Agriculture Production Commissioner and Secretary to the Government conducted a review meeting on June 14, 2008 to ensure timely distribution of the required fertilizers to farmers as the season has already commenced and planting was in progress.

Instructions have been issued through Registrar of Co-operative Societies and TANFED to make ensure that enough DAP was supplied to farmers both loanee and non-loanee, also on cash payment when they approach the PACBs.

The state government was also busy in teaching the farmers to achieve productivity levels of ten tonnes and above per hectare in paddy through the system of rice intensification with balanced and optimum application of fertilizers and change of age-old practices to ensure higher returns to the farmers.

''All are requested not to speculate and create artificial panic, which will damage the farmers' morale at this critical state'', the release added.

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