Acute shortage of urea has left many small farmers of Jharsuguda district helpless as they claim that due to the arrival of the fertiliser in small quantities, their requirement is not being met.

On behalf of the farmers' community, former presidents of Tilia Cooperative Samiti Bhonath Badhei and Hemant Patel and Kumbharbandh Maa Samlei Regional Farmers Organisation secretary Lingaraj Badhei demanded immediate action by the  Government.

They have appealed to the district authorities to check black marketing of fertiliser in open market by some unscrupulous traders.

The shortage of urea is hitting the farmers hard and its unavailability can result in losses to farmers.

As stated by the farmers of  Tilia, Rampela, Kumbharbandh and Piplikani Panchayats under Tilia Cooperative Society of Zilla Parishad Zone 3,  most families maintain their livelihood from  agriculture.

This year, against the requirements of 1,700 quintals of urea in the cooperative society, only 900 quintal urea has been supplied. As a result, many farmers have been deprived of their requirement of urea fertiliser.

They said shortage of urea was breaking the backbone of the farmers as urea was highly needed for the paddy crop.

Farmers alleged that in some places, traders taking advantage of the situation have stocked up the fertiliser and selling them at high rates.

The urea is now sold at open market at Rs 450 to Rs 550 instead of its Government rate of Rs 266. Unless the genuine problem is solved, most farmers will not hesitate to launch large scale agitation against the Government, warned the farmers.

In a memorandum submitted to the district Collector, the district Congress leaders have alleged that due to shortage of urea in the district, the farmers were facing monetary losses.

Deputy Agriculture Officer Balbir Singh Sawaiyan admitted that there was shortage of urea but said the district was going to get adequate quantities of the fertiliser in one or two days.