CM Siddaramaiah urges immediate urea supply

Amid a growing shortage of urea in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Union Minister JP Nadda urging the immediate release of the pending urea quota allocated to the state.

In his letter, CM Siddaramaiah pointed out that Karnataka was allotted a total of 11.17 lakh metric tonnes of urea for the current agricultural season. However, only 5.16 lakh metric tonnes have been supplied so far, leaving a shortfall of 6.80 lakh metric tonnes. He stated that several fertilizer companies have cited stock shortages and are delaying delivery, which could severely affect farming operations.

The Chief Minister emphasized that this year's monsoon has been significantly better than the previous year, with major reservoirs like the Cauvery, Tungabhadra, and Krishna receiving healthy inflows. Encouraged by the rainfall and water availability, farmers across Karnataka have actively resumed cultivation, resulting in a 2 lakh hectare increase in agricultural activity compared to last year.

Given this sharp rise in sowing activity, the need for timely and adequate supply of urea has become critical. Siddaramaiah stressed that further delay could disrupt farming schedules and harm crop yields, causing distress among farmers. He requested the Centre to immediately intervene and direct fertilizer companies to deliver the remaining quantity without further delay. The state government is closely monitoring the situation and is in constant touch with suppliers to avoid a crisis during the peak cultivation period.