Kolkata, Nov. 19 -- The state agriculture department on Wednesday wrote to the Centre urging the latter to sell fertilizer, particularly NPK 10-26-26, through co-operatives so that the farmers can buy them at the fixed price.
The private players selling fertilizers are allegedly indulging in black marketing forcing the farmers to buy at higher prices.
"The prices of fertilizers have increased and in this backdrop we had asked the Centre to lay emphasis on selling the same through co-operatives and not through private companies. However, we have come across black marketing with fertilizer which could have been prevented if the same was sold through cooperatives. We have written to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers for supplying us with 20 MT of NPK 10-26-26 through co operatives," said agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.
The minister held a review meeting on Bangla Shasya Bima (BSB) in presence of senior officials of his department and other concerned district officials attending virtually in which the problems faced by farmers due to fertilizer cropped up.
NPK fertilizer is the main component for potato cultivation in the state.
The minister advised that there should be protests in those areas where a section of traders have been indulging in corruption with fertilizer causing inconvenience to the farmers.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.