With stocks depleting, Telangana asks Centre for more urea supplies
Even as rains revived the hopes after a prolonged dry spell, farmers in Telangana face a shortage of urea. As they enter the crucial crop growth stage, they require urea in sufficient quantities in the next three months.
The State Government has alleged that the Union Government is not providing the monthly stocks as was promised.
“While it promised to supply an aggregate five lakh tonnes of urea for April, May, and June, they supplied about three lakh tonnes of urea, leaving a deficit of about two lakh tonnes,” Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said.
Rao wrote a letter to J P Nadda, Union Minister fof Chemicals and Fertilisers, appealing him for the timely release of fertilisers given the growing demand as the season progresses.
“The persistent mismatch is pushing the State into a distress situation, especially during the critical Kharif season,” he said.
Citing the example of July, he said that the Department of Fertilisers allotted 1.60 lakh tonnes of urea to the State. Of this, 60 per cent is from imported sources.
“However, there has been no vessel allotment against this imported allocation, which is a major concern. The gap between the imported urea allocation and the actual timing of vessel allotment remains a matter of serious concern,” he pointed out.
“We request you to increase allocations from indigenous units, specifically Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited, from 30,800 tonnes to 60,000 tonnues due to its favorable logistical reach and operational convenience,” Rao said.
“An additional supply plan is required to offset the April-June 2025 shortfalls. Prompt and proactive measures are crucial to avert severe disruptions to agricultural activities during the peak Kharif season,” he added.
Meanwhile, the State’s Agriculture Department has issued an advisory, asking farmers to make judicious use of urea. “Excessive use of urea could result in the abnormal growth of paddy plants and the lack of grain development,” they said.
They also wanted the farmers to use neem powder (five kg of neem powder for 50 kg of urea) for better results.
Blaming the Congress Government for the scarcity, the Opposition Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has alleged that the price of a urea bag is being sold at ₹325 by black marketeers as against the normal price of ₹266.50.
“The kharif season is in full swing but the farmers are facing acute shortage of fertilisers. The Government has failed to provide them with fertilisers on time,” former Finance and Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao alleged.
Defending the Union Government, the BJP claimed that the State was allocated enough supplies.
Published on July 8, 2025
