Accusing fertilizer manufacturing companies of compelling their dealers to sell other allied agro products along with the chemical nutrients to the farmers, the Thoothukudi District Agriculture Inputs Sellers’ Association have submitted a petition to Collector K. Elambahavath.
According to the president of Thoothukudi District Agriculture Inputs Sellers’ Association R. Mahendran, the fertilizer manufacturing units should supply their fertilizers at prescribed price to the authorised sellers on FOL method (free on lorry or free door delivery) as per the government norms.
However, none of the fertilizer manufacturer honours this norm and force the stockists to pay more – ₹ 15 more than the prescribed price - per bag for delivering the fertilizer at the shop.
Moreover, the fertilizer manufacturing companies, while sending the subsidised fertilizers to the shops, were forcing the stockists to buy their allied agro products also and sell them to the farmers even though they do not need them for their farming operations.
“As per the government norm, the farmers should not be compelled to buy any allied product while buying any fertilizer. Since the fertilizer manufacturing units compel the sellers to buy their other agro products while we receive fertilizer from them, we are being forced to compel the agriculturists to buy these products also if they need DAP or other chemical nutrients. Hence, action should be taken against the fertilizer manufacturing units that forcibly sell allied ago products to the sellers along with subsidised fertilizers,” Mr. Mahendran said.
He also said the manufacturing units, instead of sending the fertilizers directly to the shops under FOL method, are forcing the sellers to take delivery from the Gangaikondan Good Shed.
Consequently, the additional transport cost of fertilizer from Gangaikondan Good Shed to the shop is being transferred to the farmers at at inflated selling price. In other words, the maximum retail price of the fertilizer bag increases substantially, he said.
Hence, the Collector should act tough against the fertilizer manufacturing units forcing the sellers to buy allied products and refuse to deliver the chemical nutrients at the sellers’ doorsteps, Mr. Mahendran said.
Endorsing it, farmer S. Nagarajan of Vilaathiulam said the Di-Ammonium-Phosphate, costing ₹1,350 (for 50 kg bag) is being sold at ₹ 1,500 as the stockist has to transport it from Gangaikondan Good Shed. Similarly, Urea (₹ 266 per 45 kg bag) is being sold up to ₹ 300.
“Hence, the district administration should take action in this connection to save the buyers (farmers),” he said.
Condemning this business practice being employed by the fertilizer manufacturers, MDMK principal secretary and Member of Parliament Durai Vaiko has urged the State Government to regulate the sale of DAP and other chemical nutrients only through the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies.
In a statement, Mr. Durai Vaiko said the farmers of Thoothukudi district are in need of DAP as basal fertilizer for their maize, black gram and green gram after they had sown these crops following recent rains. However, these farmers are being compelled to buy other agro products along with DAP.
“Since the fertilizer manufacturing units are compelling the stockists to buy allied agro products while supplying DAP, the sellers pass-on comfortably this pressure to the buyers (agriculturists) even as they are in need of this chemical nutrient. Ultimately, the poor farmer is the victim of this unethical business practice. Hence, the Tamil Nadu Government should take steps for selling the chemical nutrients through the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies which cannot be forced by the manufacturers to buy unnecessary allied products,” Mr. Durai Vaiko said.
Published - October 01, 2024 08:14 pm IST
