Bhubaneswar: Amid an alleged shortage of certain fertilisers due to the prevailing global geopolitical situation, the Odisha government has asked district collectors to take strong action against traders involved in black marketing and hoarding of fertilisers, officials said Friday.
The State Cooperation Department has directed collectors to strictly monitor stock utilisation and eliminate any risk of hoarding, black marketing, artificial scarcity, or illegal cross-border movement.
The state government said farmers should not panic as the administration has taken several proactive measures to ensure the smooth supply and equitable distribution of fertilisers across the state for the Kharif 2026 season.
Following the allocation of various fertiliser grades by the Centre, adequate stock has been positioned across Markfed, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Large-sized Adivasi Multipurpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPCS), and authorised retail dealers to meet total farmer demand, officials said.
To streamline logistics, a comprehensive monthly supply plan was formulated in coordination with central authorities, manufacturers, and local stakeholders, they said.
Furthermore, manufacturers and Markfed have been instructed to align allocations directly with real-time demand and stock availability across grassroots credit societies.
In line with the state’s core mandate of providing high-quality fertilisers at controlled government rates, dedicated enforcement squads comprising agriculture, revenue, and police officers have been mobilised at both district and block levels, officials said.
These squads are actively conducting routine surprise inspections at retail and wholesale points to identify and curb illicit activities, they stated.
Recently, to manage the supply and demand of urea and DAP in the current cropping season, the Agriculture Department recommended an alternate fertiliser.
The department had asked all district collectors to persuade the farmers to use ammonium sulphate as a substitute for urea, which contains 20.5 per cent nitrogen and 23 per cent sulfur, and will help increase yield while reducing sulfur deficiencies in the soil.
PTI
