Kolhapur: Over 1,800 fertiliser shops across Kolhapur district remained shut on Monday as dealers staged a protest against the Centre’s mandatory system of booking subsidised fertilisers through a cellphone application, Framework for Fertilisers Sale. The system aims to prevent hoarding of chemical fertilisers like urea, DAP, and NPK, and to curb their excessive use by farmers.
Centre's App and Pilot Implementation
The Centre provides substantial subsidies to keep fertiliser prices affordable and has launched the app to ensure these benefits are properly utilised. Kolhapur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts in Maharashtra have been selected for pilot implementation, with the system made operational 10 days ago.
Dealers' Allegations and Challenges
Dealers alleged that the rollout had led to significant challenges. “Within days of implementation, farmers began facing difficulties. Many are not familiar with how to use the application, and there has been little awareness created. At the same time, we are not allowed to sell fertilisers without online booking as that could lead to cancellation of our licences,” said Vinod Patil, district president of the Maharashtra Fertilisers, Pesticides and Seed Dealers’ Association.
Dealers have urged authorities to allow either offline sales or a hybrid system with both online and offline options. They have also sought security, citing rising tensions at shops as frustrated farmers argue over delays in purchasing fertilisers.
“We will continue the strike if our demands are not met. Farmers are already anxious due to delayed monsoon, and the lack of fertilisers has deepened their concerns. We have existing stock, but cannot procure new supplies until the old stock is cleared through the app. Frequent server issues, poor network connectivity, and farmers asking us to handle bookings on their behalf are adding to our burden,” Patil added.
