Amid the ongoing Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) shortage in Punjab, it has come to fore that the state has been allocated only 4.68 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of the fertilizer against the requirement of 5.5 lakh MT, data accessed by HT has revealed. To make matters worse, the state has received only 2.76 lakh MT DAP (58%) so far.
For wheat production, the state needs 4.8 LMT DAP while for vegetables, 80,000 MT is required, as per the records of Punjab government.
The acute shortage has left farmers anxious as they have only a two-week window to complete wheat sowing.
Wheat sowing officially starts around October 25 and farmers are required to complete it by November 15 for good yield.
DAP is a key ingredient in wheat sowing as it contains nitrogen and phosphorus, which is required in the early growth stage of root establishment and development.
Nayab Singh, a farmer from Patiala’s Balbhera village said, he has been visiting the office of the agriculture society for several days but with no luck. “Every time I go, I return empty-handed,” he revealed.
Balwinder Singh, another farmer of Sangrur, said, “First, we had to struggle at grain markets to sell paddy, now we are struggling to get DAP fertiliser.”
Govt promotes alternatives
Amid the ongoing crisis, the Punjab government has been encouraging farmers to switch to DAP alternatives.
Dr Gurpreet Singh Sidhu, assistant professor (agronomy), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Patiala, said, “DAP contains 46% phosphorus and 18% nitrogen. There are many other fertilizers that can easily replace it. For instance, NPK (12:32:16), which contains 32% phosphorus, 12% nitrogen, and 16% potassium, is a good alternative.”
Dr Hardeep Singh, deputy director (training) at KVK, Patiala, said fertilizers should be used based on soil test results.
When contacted, Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Khudian said, “The DAP supply from Center has been erratic due to import delays. The supply has improved over the past few days, and it will improve further by November 7 or 8.”
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha convener Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “Both Center and Punjab government are responsible for the fertilizer shortage. Farmers were already in distress because of the tardy paddy procurement, the DAP shortage has only aggravated their problems.”
