Paralakhemundi: Farmers in Gajapati district are a worried lot nowadays as their Kharif cultivation is very likely to take a beating due to alleged scarcity and black-marketing of fertilisers, a report said. It is alleged that some unscrupulous businessmen are fleecing gullible farmers and creating an artificial scarcity of fertilisers in the market, thereby promoting black marketing. Farmers alleged that scarcity of fertilisers has arisen due to the callousness of the district administration and Agriculture Department officials who are dragging their feet over streamlining the supply of subsidised fertilisers.
According to reports, farmers have to shell out anything between Rs 450 and Rs 500 when the government has fixed the price of 50-kg bag of urea fertiliser at Rs 266.50. Similarly, the actual cost of a bag of potash has been fixed at Rs 1,550, but the unscrupulous traders are charging Rs 1,750 per packet. Currently, farmers need urea and potash for the growth of paddy crops, but in the process they are being fleeced by dishonest traders. It is alleged that black marketing of fertilisers is going on in the district headquarters town of Paralakhemundi and in various blocks under the nose of district Agriculture department.
However, district agriculture officer Balaram Subudhi has allegedly feigned ignorance on the development. Several farmers have also lodged complaints in his office but he has rubbished the charges. This has sparked resentment among the farmers who have been left in the lurch. Zilla Krushak Manch president Surya Narayan Patnaik, and farmers Rashmi Ranjan Sahu, Prasant Patra, Rajendra Jena, Seema Jena, M Madhav Rao, Barik Behera and Muna Behera have warned to hit the streets if the district administration fails to intervene in the matter. When contacted, Subudhi denied of receiving any complaints of black marketing from the farmers earlier. However, he recently came to know about black marketing of fertilisers in the district headquarters town and in various blocks for which he has directed his office to conduct verification of every store. Action will be taken against the traders found involved in fertiliser black marketing, he added.