Farmers take to streets over fertilizer shortage

Protests erupted across several districts in Odisha Sunday as frustrated farmers took to the streets, blocked roads and highways, and accused dealers and officials of failing to ensure an adequate and timely supply of urea fertilizer during the peak agricultural season.

- POST NEWS NETWORK

In Deogarh district, hundreds of farmers staged a road blockade near Jhadeswar Temple Square on the Deogarh-Riamal main road. The protest, which lasted for nearly 30 minutes, was triggered by an acute shortage of urea and allegations of black marketing by private dealers. Farmers claimed that while godowns remained closed during the day, dealers sold urea at inflated prices late at night.

The government-fixed price for urea is ₹267 per bag, but private dealers were allegedly selling it for over ₹350. “We urgently need urea for paddy transplantation and weeding. If we can’t get it now, our crops will fail,” said one protesting farmer.

Following the protest, the godown was opened around 10:30am, but farmers had to wait for hours in the scorching sun to purchase fertilizer.

District Farmers’ Association president Bijay Kumar Pradhan said repeated fertilizer shortages were severely impacting cultivation. “If the administration curbs black marketing and ensures timely supply, farmers will be relieved,” he said.