In a major initiative aimed at supplying fertilisers to the farmers at much subsidised rates, Punjab’s premier co-operative society — Markfed — has decided to reduce the rate of DAP fertilizers, supplied through the cooperative societies to farmers, by Rs1000 per ton, that is Rs50 per bag.
“On the directions of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Markfed has decided to supply quality fertilizers to the farmers at affordable prices,” said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office.
Spokesperson said that with this decision, the farmers would get DAP fertilizers through the respective co-operative societies at rate of Rs22,700 per ton, that is Rs1,135 per bag, instead of existing Rs23,700 per ton, that is Rs1,185 per bag.
Even those farmers who have purchased DAP fertilizers for the Kharif season 2016 through the Cooperative societies have also been given the fertilizer at reduced prices, he said.
Spokesperson also said that in order to facilitate the farmers, Markfed had made elaborate arrangements to ensure uninterrupted supply of DAP fertilizers to the cooperative societies so that agriculturalists do not face any sort of inconvenience in getting it. “So far, there is no shortage of DAP fertilizer in any of the cooperative society,” added the spokesperson.
Markfed, which had started as a small entity in 1954 with a total capital of Rs 50,000, is today one of the leading corporate with a business turnover of more than Rs12,000 crore per annum.
Much of the activities of this premier cooperative were farmer-oriented and Markfed has been at the fore front in the supply of DAP, urea, agro chemicals, cattlefeed,vegetable oils and other products to farmers across the state in a time bound manner and at an affordable cost.