Fertiliser crunch sparks chaos at Sirsa distribution centres
A severe shortage of DAP and urea has triggered panic among farmers in Sirsa district, leading to chaotic scenes at distribution centres.
On Friday, hundreds of farmers rushed to the IFFCO centre in Nathusari Chopta as a truck carrying 500 bags of DAP arrived. With the sowing season for kharif crops underway, fear of missing out on vital fertilisers led to crowd surges and unrest.
Farmers from Nathusari Kalan, Ludesar, Tarkanwali and nearby villages had gathered early, some arriving on foot, others on tractors or motorcycles. Several said they had waited all day in the scorching heat without food or water.
The situation worsened as tempers flared, prompting the administration to call in police to control the crowd and streamline distribution.
“The situation became unmanageable shortly after the truck arrived, so we had to request police help,” said Sanjay Kumar, IFFCO sales officer.
To prevent hoarding and ensure equitable access, the administration imposed a limit of four bags per farmer per Aadhaar card. While most of the 500 bags were distributed by evening, many farmers left disappointed as the supply could not meet demand.
Farmers including Mahendra Singh, Satveer Singh, Kehar Singh and Bhagat Singh expressed anger over the repeated mismanagement of fertiliser supply, demanding urgent government intervention.
The crisis is even more severe in Odhan, where fertiliser has been in short supply for months. Farmers say DAP hasn’t arrived in five months, and urea availability remains erratic.
“We’ve had to irrigate our fields without fertilisers. It’s a serious threat to crop yields,” said a distressed Ranveer from Nuhianwali village.
Kulwinder Singh, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society’s manager, said: “We’ve requested 10,000 bags of urea and 8,000 of DAP for 12 villages, but only 1,500 bags were sent recently — far below what’s needed.”
Farmers across Jalalana, Kheowali, Chormar, and Nuhianwali say they are being forced to travel from one centre to another without any assurance of supply.
They have appealed to the government to urgently ensure timely and adequate fertiliser distribution during peak sowing seasons to prevent further hardship and potential crop failure.
Haryana Tribune