Patna, June 4: Bihar’s Agriculture Minister, Vijay Kumar Sinha, affirmed on Thursday that there is no shortage of fertilizers for farmers in the state. He stated that adequate supplies are available across all districts.
As of June 3, the state has a stock of 3.76 lakh metric tons of urea, 1.54 lakh metric tons of DAP, 2.38 lakh metric tons of NPK, and 1.17 lakh metric tons of SSP. The requirement until June 30 is 2.40 metric tons of urea, 1 metric ton of DAP, 1.25 metric tons of NPK, and 0.55 metric tons of SSP.
Sinha emphasized that the state government is vigilant against fertilizer black marketing, hoarding, and overpricing. Regular inspections of fertilizer shops and establishments are being conducted, and raids are initiated upon receiving reports of irregularities. As of June 3, 29 cases have been registered against fertilizer establishments for violations, and licenses for 208 establishments have been revoked.
To promote balanced fertilizer usage among farmers, extensive awareness campaigns are underway. The Agriculture Minister also held a review meeting regarding fertilizer availability at the Agriculture Department in Mithapur on Thursday.
He noted that the task force established at the headquarters is continuously investigating complaints. Strict actions are being taken against establishments involved in fertilizer black marketing or hoarding. Special monitoring campaigns are coordinated with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to prevent illegal fertilizer movement in districts bordering international borders.
In total, 2,573 shops in seven bordering districts have been inspected, revealing irregularities in 275 of them. Consequently, 19 cases have been registered, 123 shop licenses have been revoked, and clarifications have been sought from 85 shopkeepers.
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