Farmers in Palamuru Struggle for Urea, Forced to Stand in Long Queues for Advance Tokens

Mahabubnagar: The plight of farmers across the Palamuru region has once again come to the fore with severe shortage of urea, forcing them to spend hours in long queues just to collect advance tokens for fertilizer. On Thursday morning, the premises of the Single Window office in Narayanapet district headquarters turned into a sea of distressed farmers, as hundreds lined up at the Government Junior College ground in desperate wait for their turn.

With the paddy crop entering its crucial yielding stage, timely application of urea has become indispensable for growth and better yield. Farmers say they need at least two bags of urea per acre. However, the supply being provided is far from sufficient.

“We have sown six acres of paddy, but I was given only two bags of urea. How will my crop survive? We demand that the government ensure adequate supply to meet our requirements,” lamented Hanumanthu, a farmer from Narayanapet.

As distribution authorities at the Single Window Centre are issuing just one token per person, several family members are being compelled to queue up to secure advance tokens. Farmers allege that the system is riddled with inefficiency, and their genuine needs are being ignored.

Despite these concerns, officials continue to downplay the crisis. Authorities insist there is no shortage of urea and urge farmers not to panic, assuring that every farmer will eventually receive the fertilizer.

But ground realities tell a different story. Khetavat Gopal, a farmer from Chinna Gutta village in Jadcherla, Mahabubnagar, said he had been visiting the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) distribution centre for the past three days. “After repeated requests, I got only two bags of urea, while I need at least six bags for my four acres of paddy. This is unbearable,” he said.

Opposition leaders have strongly criticized the government, accusing it of failing to assess the urea demand in advance and stock adequate quantities for distribution. “The woes of Palamuru farmers are never-ending. Every year, the same crisis repeats. The government has miserably failed in procurement and planning,” they alleged.