Farmers protest DAP shortage in Karnal

KARNAL: Amid the ongoing paddy season, a severe shortage of DAP and urea fertilisers has left Haryana farmers distressed, prompting a protest in Karnal on Tuesday where farmers blocked a major road outside the agriculture department's office.

- Bhavey Nagpal

The protest, led by several farmers and Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait) activists, disrupted traffic for nearly an hour. The blockade was lifted after protestors agreed to meet deputy director of agriculture (DDA) Wazir Singh.

SHO Civil Lines Shri Bhagwan Yadav said the farmers dispersed after officials assured them that fertiliser availability would improve within three days. The blockade caused major inconvenience to commuters as the road connects the old bus stand and Kaithal to National Highway-44. BKU (Tikait) state president Rattan Mann said, “If the department claims to have complete data on farmers, why can't it ensure timely fertiliser supply? If there is no shortage, where is the stock? Why are farmers not getting it?”

Progressive farmer Satpal Kaushik from Yamunanagar said that the fertiliser crisis will harm crop yield. “Farmers struggled to get DAP during transplantation, and now urea is also scarce.”