A new system of releasing fertilizers to wholesale and retail dealers from the manufacturing points has been introduced in the district to arrest pilferage and prevent misuse of fertilizers supplied to the dealers at subsidized rates for agriculture purposes.
Under the newly-introduced Mobile Fertilizer Monitoring System (m-FMS), no dealer in the district, without the ‘m-FMS Identification Number’ would be able to avail fertilizers from the manufacturing companies. The new system was launched recently and the retailers were being sensitised to get the m-FMS ID numbers, S.S. Shaiek Abdullah, Assistant Director of Agriculture, told The Hindu after chairing a meeting with dealers and representatives of fertilizer manufacturing companies here on Friday.
“The retailers were clearly told that under the new system, all transactions from the manufacturing companies with the dealers will take place only with reference to m-FMS ID number and they have been asked to avail the number,” he said.
At the meeting, the dealers were sensitised on the need to avail the unique number, he said. Marketing Managers from SPIC, MFL and IPL, leading fertilizer manufacturing companies, explained the process to the dealers, he said. SPIC was the district coordinating company and it would generate and allot the ID numbers.
Under the system, a manufacturing company would inform through an SMS to a particular dealer about the dispatch of stock, after he raised an invoice, quoting the m-FMS ID number. After receipt of the specified quantity of fertilizer, the dealer would have to acknowledge the same. This would completely arrest pilferage and ensure that the dealer received specified quantity and sold the fertilizer only for agriculture purposes, Mr Abdullah said.
He said this was the third meeting arranged with the wholesale and retail dealers after the meetings in Paramakudi on November 15 and Kamudhi on November 28. There were 297 dealers in the district, who included 18 wholesale dealers, 148 private retail dealers and 131 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, he added. The new system would also help officials at the district headquarters to monitor the sales and stock positions available with all dealers, he said.
Joint Director of Agriculture Ka. Sakthimohan said that 19,847 tonnes of fertilizers, including 9,217 tonnes of urea, 3,058 tonnes of DAP, 492 tonnes of MOP, and 7,080 tonnes of NPK complex had been sold to the farmers this season.
A stock position of 1,400 tonnes of Urea, 691 tonnes of DAP, 120 tonnes of MOP and 950 tonnes of NPK complex was being maintained, thanks to Collector K Nanthakumar, who ensured coordination between the Department of Agriculture and Primary Agriculture Co-operative Societies. “This time, no farmer at the village level complained about non availability of fertilizer,” he said.
