Rajasthan Facing Fertilizer Shortage During Rabi Sowing

Due to an extreme scarcity of fertilizers during the sowing of rabi crops, Rajasthan has taken efforts to maximize the use of reserves and encouraged farmers to utilize alternate compounds for mustard and gram crops, which are projected to cover a total area of 50 lakh hectares.

The Congress government has also requested the Centre to approve more fertilizer quantity.

Because diammonium phosphate (DAP) supply is heavily reliant on imports, the gap between demand and supply has grown across the country as a result of low arrivals, affecting Rajasthan and other states this year. From April to September, Rajasthan received just 3.07 lakh metric tonnes of DAP, despite a need for 4.50 lakh metric tonnes.

Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria stated on Monday “Farmers have been instructed to utilize other phosphatic fertilisers, such as single super phosphate and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) compound, to minimize potential losses due to DAP scarcity. Because of the sulphur content, the SSP has been found to be more helpful for oilseeds and pulse”.

Kataria stated that he had written a letter to Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandavia, stating that the Centre had authorised only 67,000 metric tonnes of DAP for the rabi crops of 2021-22 in Rajasthan, despite a demand for 1.50 lakh tonnes in October. "We have experienced a 2.25 lakh metric tonnes deficit so far, despite making efforts at every level to deliver fertilisers to the cultivators on time," he added.

The average mustard and gram crop area is projected to be 30 lakh and 20 lakh hectares, respectively, requiring a minimum of 2 lakh metric tonnes of DAP fertiliser.

Fertilizers are chemical substances that are supplied to the crops to boost their productivity. Farmers use it daily to increase the crop yield.

The fertilizers have all the essential nutrients needed by the plants, like nitrogen, potassium & phosphorus.