The Department of agriculture today constituted a team of officers who would sit in Delhi for better coordination with Government of India for meeting the demand of availability of DAP in Punjab. Disclosing this Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha today said that the team of officers from the department would oversee the rakes allocation to Punjab while sitting in the control room made by the GOI in New Delhi. This would help us asking for more share allocation against our pending demand of the DAP.Nabha today held a review meeting of availability of DAP in the state via video conferencing with all the chief agriculture officers. He took a note of actual ground position of the DAP stocks available across various districts. The prices of DAP is high in international market and required quantity is not available internationally. He asked all the Chief Agriculture Officers of the districts to ensure that retailers, cooperative societies and even individual farmers, do not illegally hoard DAP unnecessarily, which may lead to panic buying and unrest amongst farmers of the State.
He directed the officials to start intensive checking regarding the hoarding or black marketing of DAP. He also directed the officials in the field to immediately register FIR against those who are caught in this malpractice. He stressed the need to maintain proper record of the sale of DAP to the farmers and the societies so that no undue advantage is passed to anyone. He also assured the field officers that the shortfall in the DAP would be fulfilled by 15 November. Nabha also asked the officers to take measures with which the farmers confidence is built and they don’t get panicky.Nabha further told the officers that 42 DAP rakes of different DAP supplier companies have been demanded from 09.11.2021 to 14.11.2021 from GOI. Apart from it, plan of 35 rakes placement from 16.11.2021 to 30.11.2021 has been forwarded to Govt. of India. Upto 08.11.2021, 15 rakes (40724 MT) have been received and 9 rakes (25578 MT) are in transit and expected to be placed upto 12.11.2021. Apart from it indent of 15 rakes (41624 MT) has been placed by different companies.Briefing the officers Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Sh. D K Tiwari asked officials to sensitize farmers to make use of alternate Phosphatic fertilizers like NPK & SSP in place of DAP to fulfill phosphathic requirements. About 0.31 LMT of NPK & 0.55 LMT of SSP is available in different districts of the State.