Sundargarh, July 20 (UDN): Hundreds of farmers in Odisha’s Sundargarh district spent the night outside the Regional Cooperative Marketing Society (RCMS) office, hoping to secure fertiliser essential for the ongoing kharif cultivation season.
Responding to an official notice announcing fertiliser distribution, many farmers arrived as early as 3:00 AM, placing their Aadhaar cards outside the RCMS office to reserve their place in the queue. Despite waiting for several hours, they remained uncertain about whether they would receive the much-needed fertiliser.
Farmers said repeated visits to the distribution centre in recent days had yielded no results, forcing them to spend the entire night outside the office. With sowing and paddy transplantation at a crucial stage, they expressed concern that the shortage of fertiliser could severely affect crop growth and productivity.
Many cultivators stated that they require at least two bags of fertiliser for their fields but are being allotted only one bag under the current distribution system.
According to RCMS officials, 247 farmers have registered for fertiliser distribution, while government guidelines permit the distribution of fertiliser to only 60 farmers per day, with each beneficiary receiving a single bag.
“We have received a stock of 500 fertiliser bags. Distribution will be carried out strictly as per the District Collector’s instructions. Only 60 registered farmers can be served each day, and each will receive one bag,” an RCMS official said.
The limited daily allocation has sparked frustration among farmers, many of whom fear they may have to return empty-handed despite waiting overnight. They have urged the district administration and the state government to increase fertiliser supplies and streamline the distribution process to prevent long queues and inconvenience during the peak agricultural season.
With the kharif season in full swing, farmers say timely availability of fertiliser is critical to ensuring healthy crop growth and safeguarding this year’s harvest.