A severe shortage of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertiliser led to chaotic scenes at an IFFCO Bazaar outlet in Odhan, Sirsa district, on Monday, as hundreds of farmers rushed to secure supplies for the ongoing kharif sowing season. Many farmers arrived before dawn after hearing that a fresh consignment had arrived, only to be met with limited stock and long queues.
Farmers Queue for Hours, Receive Only Two Bags Each
Farmers began gathering several hours before the outlet opened, hoping to obtain fertiliser critical for their crops. The crowd swelled rapidly, and disputes broke out over positions in the queue. After waiting for hours, each farmer was allotted only two bags of DAP, leaving many dissatisfied. Farmers including Gurjeet Singh, Raj Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Devi Lal, Varinder Singh, and Himmat Singh alleged that fertiliser shortages are a recurring problem, with DAP often unavailable when needed and similar shortages of urea during peak demand periods.
“The sowing season is at its most crucial stage, and farmers are being forced to spend entire days standing in queues instead of working in their fields,” a farmer said. They warned that delays in fertiliser availability could adversely affect crop growth and production.
Only 250 Farmers Benefited from Consignment of 500 Bags
Gajender Kumar, a salesman at the IFFCO Bazaar outlet, stated that a consignment of 500 bags had arrived. Under the distribution policy, each farmer was given two bags against one Aadhaar card, benefiting around 250 farmers. He added that another consignment was expected to arrive soon. The shortage comes at a critical time when farmers across the region are preparing for the kharif season and depend heavily on timely fertiliser supplies for sowing operations.
Farmers Demand Improved Distribution System
The farmers urged the government and the Agriculture Department to ensure adequate supplies of DAP and improve the distribution system so that cultivators do not have to make repeated visits to fertiliser centres. The incident highlights ongoing challenges in fertiliser availability in Haryana, where agriculture is a key economic activity.
