Increased demand for urea and reported unavailability on the market, leading to protests of farmers in some districts of northern and central Karnataka, has more than what meets the eye.
Early and abundant collisions led to increased demand for crystalline urea farmers who believe in conventional agriculture and are aversion to use nano urea despite the efforts to promote it.
After the main minister wrote the Center for a larger offer, the delegation of North Karnataka also met the Minister of the Union, which concerned more offer for the Kharif season. But it will take some time for the offer to reach.
Recurrence
The problem of the lack of fertilizers is not new in KARNATION. Variations in the chain of demand and power have previously caused problems, the worst is the police fire in the accident in 2008, when the protests over fertilizers eventually changed to violent, which eventually led to the death of two farmers and several of them were crippled for life.
This year’s situation has brought several other related questions, including the Black Market.
In the Davangere district, where the cultivation of Paddy and Corn has gained strength, the administration canceled the licenses of eight wholesale retailers for illegal sale of urea by other districts and suspended six retailers for farmers’ flesh. Now each farmer gets two bags of urea.
According to Commissioner Davangere GM Gangadhaswamy, the panic was a panic due to increased demand, although the district has another supply of 3,000 MT urea. The District Administration has now also launched a campaign to raise awareness of Nano urea instead of a crystalline urea.
In an effort to gently reduce excessive use, the government has reduced the standard size of the urea bag from 50 to 45 kg.
While increased demand is one of the aspects, the bigger problem lies elsewhere, says Chamarase Malipatil, honorary President of Karnataka Rajya Raith Sangha. “Storage causes are reserves during the season outside the selling at inflated prices and efforts to promote nano urea, which is much more advantageous for the manufacturer are real causes,” he said.
Sidagouda Modagi, leader Krishik Samai, says that the lack of efficient rural cooperatives is another key factor. “On the other hand, the central government, which has almost a monopoly for urea and transport supplies, and the state government that drives the supply to the last mile did not do its work correctly,” he said.
For more reasons
According to Vithal Benagi, a former director of an extension at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, the lack of urea is caused by factors, including change of precipitation patterns, excessive use of farmers and political mistakes by the government.
Most farmers tend to overuse urea for nitrogen content. Nitrogen causes plants to be greener and succulent and slightly increase yields. However, excessive use leads to acidification of soil, nitrate pollution in water and damage to the ozone layer due to air pollution. It also makes plants susceptible to pest attacks, forcing farmers to use more pesticides. This is a vicious cycle. In addition, because urea is available for 280 to 300 GBP per bag, it is preferred over other inputs.
Sidharam Patil, College of Agriculture at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, emphasizes how excessive use of urea affects soil and public health.
“The problem is especially acute in northern Karnataka, where black calcium soils rich in calcium and low in iron are particularly vulnerable.
Human health at risk
Increasing nitrate levels in groundwater due to excessive use of urea are another matter of concerns that have a direct impact on public health, prof. Patil. “High nitrate levels in drinking water contribute to cases of blue baby syndrome (baby methemoglobinaemia), where infants develop bluish skin due to reduced oxygen levels in the blood,” said prof. Patil.
Published – 3rd August 2025 06:46 IS IS
