Fertiliser scarcity has come back to haunt Subarnapur farmers during the troubled times of Covid -19 with repeated shutdowns and lockdown.
The shortage of fertilisers has cast a cloud on timely sowing of paddy and other crops during this season in the district.
Scarcity of the essential agricultural inputs is not a new problem for farmers of Subarnapur who struggle with the crisis every year.
President of the district unit of Krushak Sangha Kishore Hota alleged that thousands of farmers are unable to procure the requisite quantity of fertilisers due to short supply by the Agriculture Department. Many farmers are being forced to buy fertilisers at exorbitant rates from black marketers and hoarders.
Sources said while the livelihood of many farmers is at stake,several pleas for adequate fertiliser supply have fallen on the deaf ears of the authorities.
Goutam Bagarty, a farmer of Titheipali village, who has cultivated paddy over four acres of land, said, "I came to Tarbha town to purchase fertiliser but failed. The paddy saplings in my field will perish if I don’t get fertiliser soon."
Following the recent rain, farmers have started agricultural activities with a hope of bumper harvest. But the fertilizer crisis has made them worried.
Farmer leader Mitrabrata Mishra said the scarcity during the crucial stage of cultivation will affect crop yield in the district. If the authorities do not act fast, paddy saplings over vast tracts of farmland will wither away, he added.