Haryana Farmers Are Protesting Due to Shortage of DAP Fertilizers

Farmers loyal to the Bharatiya Kisan Union staged a protest on Monday in Hansi, near Hisar, protesting reported insufficient supplies of di-ammonium phosphate fertiliser, while farmers queued for hours in a few of Haryana districts. 

Farmers protested in Hansi, with one protester going on an extended fast due to a supposed DAP scarcity. 

"DAP is in scarce supply. Our protest will continue like this if enough supply is not supplied as soon as possible," a protesting farmer told reporters in Hansi. Farmers had to queue for hours everyday in front of cooperative societies' offices and private dealer shops to acquire DAP fertiliser owing to a "shortage" during Rabi season, he claimed. 

On Monday, large lines formed in Charkhi Dadri and Shahabad in Kurukshetra as farmers waited for hours to obtain fertilisers. 

Farmers reportedly stopped a road on the Mahendergarh-Rewari route for a short time to protest the fertiliser’s lack of availability. 

A few days ago, several farmers allegedly forcibly removed over 100 bags of DAP  fertilisers  from outside a private dealer's business in Mahendergarh district's Ateli town. 

Farmers are allegedly fleeing from pillar to post because to a DAP scarcity, according to opposition parties. 

The fertiliser was being supplied to farmers from police stations in a few areas, including  Charkhi, Dadri, under heavy police supervision. 

There is no scarcity of fertiliser, according to the state administration. 

Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal declared last week that the state has no scarcity of DAP fertiliser and that black marketeers are attempting to create a false shortage. On Sunday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar convened a meeting to assess DAP supply and demand. 

Despite the fact that the amount of DAP fertiliser available in the market this year is 1,100 metric tons more than last year, Khattar said he spoke to Union Chemicals and  Fertilisers  Minister Mansukh Mandaviya over the phone on Sunday and requested six additional (train) rakes of fertilisers, which the Centre agreed to, according to an official statement.