Farmers in Ramanathapuram to get neem coated urea

This will act as a fertiliser on one hand and pest repellent on the other: officials

Farmers in Ramanathapuram are expected to raise paddy in 1.25 lakh hectares.

For the first time this year, the Agriculture department would be distributing ‘neem coated urea’ in 45 kg bags to farmers as they set to commence paddy cultivation in 1.25 lakh hectares in the district next month, ahead of the north east monsoon.

After the Centre made production of ‘neem coated’ urea mandatory, the fertiliser manufacturing companies which had the option to produce ‘neem coated’ and ‘non-neem coated’ urea last year have come out with only ‘neem coated’ urea but in 45 kg bags, apparently to influence the farmers to use less urea.

The ‘neem coated’ urea would act as fertiliser on the one hand and pest repellent on the other, officials said. Farmers who had been buying 50 kg bag of urea at a maximum retail price of ₹295 could buy the 45 kg bag at ₹266.50, they said.

Easy handling and bid to encourage farmers to use less urea might be the rationale behind the introduction of 45 kg bags, they added.

After Collector S. Natarajan held a review meeting with Joint Director of Agriculture L. Sornamanickam and his colleagues on Monday, it has been estimated that the requirement of chemical fertilisers for all crops in the coming crop season would be 40,440 metric tonnes (MT).

S. S. Shaiek Abdullah, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Quality Control, said there was sufficient stock of basal dose fertilisers in all Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies (PACCS) and private dealers. As of now, 134 PACCS and 125 private dealers have 1,945 MT of urea, 688 MT of DAP, 140 MT of Potash and 947 MT of NAP complex, he said.

As the officials placed indent every month after finalising the ‘supply and plan’ position, the stock position would be maintained to meet the requirements, he said. Farmers could buy the fertilisers only through Point of Sale (PoS) machines, using their Aadhaar cards, he said.

Pointing out that the district was expected to receive sufficient rainfall during the coming northeast monsoon, officials said farmers were expected to raise paddy in 1.25 lakh hectares, minor millets in 7,400 hectares, pulses in 3,800 hectares and oil seeds in 6,540 hectares. Paddy sowing in rain- fed areas would commence in third week of September, they said.