Fertilizers’ Shortage In Coimbatore
Farmers in Coimbatore district complain of fertilizers’ shortage while in other six districts in western Tamil Nadu say they are not facing any problem with regard to their availability. Coimbatore district has about 6,000 hectares under paddy, one lakh hectares under coconut, 1.26 lakh hectares under millets, 42,000 hectares under pulses,17,590 hectares under oilseeds, 2,660 hectares under cotton and 40,000 hectares under horticulture crops. During the south west monsoon period, paddy, coconut, maize, vegetables and cotton are the prime crops. Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangham president M.R. Sivasamy says while farmers are getting ready for cultivation, they are plagued by shortage of Di-ammonium phosphate and Complex (a mixture of nitrate, phosphate, potassium and urea), which are not available adequately in the market. Co-operative societies do not have adequate stock of these farm inputs. In the open market, even licensed dealers are complaining of inadequate supply owing to high prices of naphtha (a petroleum product), clearly indicating the widening gap between demand and supply. Mr. Sivasamy says inadequate power supply coupled with fertilizer shortage will lead to fall in agricultural production and will have an effect on prices of essential commodities.
However, D. Nandagopal, Joint Director of Agriculture (in-charge), contends as against 32,000 tonnes of fertilizers indented, 50 per cent has already arrived while the rest is being transported from Tamil Nadu Fertilizers, Thoothukudi. The entire consignment will arrive before the weekend. Equitable distribution is being ensured by 20 Assistant Directors and an Assistant Director of Quality Control. In Salem and Namakkal districts, much of the cultivable land now is under the tank and well irrigation. Hence the area under the river irrigation is quite insignificant and confined to the banks of the Cauvery.
