Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers demand check on black marketing of DAP

PATIALA: After having caused coal shortage in private power plants of Punjab, the farmers’ agitation is also leading to shortage of diammonia phosphate (DAP) fertiliser. The resultant black marketing of DAP is a cause of concern for farmers, particularly small ones. Farmers’ unions have urged the state government to check black marketing of DAP manure, which is being sold at higher prices than last year, they said. According to Union members, small farmers are also being asked to purchase extra articles from the shop while buying DAP, which is required during wheat sowing. In some places, farmers said, people have started stocking up on DAP after the rise in price fearing that it would not be available later if the agitation continued. BKU (Ekta Dakanuda) president Boota Singh Burjgill said, “A number of farmers had complained to us about black marketing of DAP, mostly in Malwa region of Punjab. Shopkeepers compel farmers to purchase one or more items along with the DAP bag. Neither is the state government facing shortage of coal nor of DAP. Urea is not in demand as it is required at a later stage. We proposed to the state government earlier that farmers can allow train bogies to reach the rail track at Shambu border of Punjab and Haryana and at Rajpura track from where the coal and DAP can be transported in trucks.” Farmers in Punjab need over 5 lakh MT of DAP during wheat sowing and around 2.8 lakh MT is available. “As of now, there is no shortage of DAP as the stock available in the market is enough to cater to the demand for a few days. However, if the rail-roko agitation continues then the demand would not be met,” said chief inspector, fertiliser G S Brar. He also said no complaint of black marketing of DAP has reached the department but assured that he would look into the allegations. Brar said DAP for October could not be supplied in Punjab because of the farmers’ agitation. He said shopkeepers were earlier giving a discount of up to Rs 100 on MRP of the DAP bag but this time, they have either reduced the discount or have discontinued it, because of which farmers might have thought price has risen. However, he said, no complaint of the DAP bags being sold above the MRP of Rs 1,250 has reached them.

The Times of India

2020-10-19

Ludhiana