Fertiliser crunch hits Maharashtra

Nanded, Maharashtra: Angry farmers in Nanded district, the chief minister's constituency, have targeted fertiliser outlets which have run out of stocks.

In nearby Parbhani, police resorted to lathi charge on farmers who were trying to steal fertilisers. Raigad, the other end of Maharashtra, also saw a major farmers' protest.

By the state's own admission, Maharashtra is almost 40 per cent short of fertilizers.

Fertiliser Crunch

• Demand: 6.57 lakh MT
• Supply: 4.27 lakh MT
  

The shortage has hit the farmers very hard. It's the sowing season and the delay is costing farmers their crop.

As the tension mounts, fertilisers in Hingoli are now being distributed by the police.

"The demand for fertiliser is so high that we've had to distribute it through the police station," said R D Tambile, Agriculture Officer.

"There is a lot of confusion here. Farmers have been waiting since 4 am for two bags of fertilizers," said R N Banger, farmer.

Another farmer, Suresh Jadhav says, "Farmers didn't go to their farms, instead they queue here. Now they are asking us to come tomorrow evening with land records, which means missing another day."

The state claims fertiliser supplies will be restored by the end of the month but what's clear is the need to act fast before the protests intensify.