Civil organisation backs farmers’ community to launch agitation

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Aug. 26 (EMN): A day after irate farmers stormed into the Agricultural Department office in Imphal demanding delivery of urea fertilizer, United People’s Front (UPF), a civil society organisation in Manipur has warned to launch public agitation in association with farmers’ community if the government failed to provide urea at subsidised rates to the farmers within a week.
The functionaries of UPF conveyed this to reporters during a press conference at the front’s office at Keishampat in Imphal.
On Saturday, the angry farmers stormed the agriculture office in Imphal while some vandalised the godown of urea at Lamphelpat near Imphal in protest against the state agriculture department’s failure to deliver urea at the subsidised rate to the needy farmers.

According to the state farmers, it would lead to reduced yield whether it is paddy or vegetables if the farmers failed to apply fertilizer in time. The situation is worrisome for poor farmers in the state.

At present, Urea is sold in the markets at INR 900 to 1000 per bag. On the other hand, the price of Urea fixed by the Government is INR 267 per bag. More than 75 per cent of the total population of Manipur are farmers and reportedly consumes around 20,000 metric tonnes of urea annually.

The farmers from both valley and hills who arrived at the Agriculture office at Sanjenthong in Imphal East district on Saturday informed that they were told to come but when they reached the office they were again told that there were no arrangements to distribute any urea.

Expressing unhappiness over the development, they said that they may not able to use urea in the field once August month is over. One of the agitating farmer alleged that the shortage of urea in the state is due to the failure of the Agriculture Department to stock the fertilisers in the godown sufficiently in time.

The officials of the state agriculture department could not be reached for their comment.