Gadwal: District Collector B.M. Santosh has directed agriculture officials to take all necessary steps to ensure that fertilizers, particularly urea, reach farmers on time and without irregularities.

At a review meeting with agriculture department officials held on Wednesday at the IDOC Conference Hall, the Collector reviewed the extent of cultivated crops in the district, urea stocks, and sales. He stated that the 543 metric tonnes of urea currently available should be distributed systematically to farmers in need. He warned that strict action would be taken against anyone involved in irregularities in the distribution process.

The Collector made it clear that all new urea stocks arriving in the district must be supplied only through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and not allocated to private agro-retail shops. Mandal agriculture officers were instructed to compare last year’s urea consumption with this year’s records and conduct thorough inquiries wherever unusually high consumption has been reported by PACS or retail outlets, to verify the actual situation.

He noted that this year, 600 metric tonnes more urea has already been sold compared to last year, yet farmers are still reporting shortages. A detailed inquiry is being conducted into the reasons behind this situation.

The Collector stressed that no malpractice should occur in fertilizer distribution and directed officials to strictly monitor supplies to ensure that fertilizers are not diverted. Farmers were also advised to purchase only the required quantity instead of hoarding.

To strengthen monitoring, the Collector instructed that an Agricultural Extension Officer be stationed at every PACS to oversee proper distribution of urea. He further emphasized that once a farmer has received his share, he should not be allowed to collect additional supplies repeatedly.

District Agriculture Officer Sakriya Naik, ADA Sangeeta Lakshmi, mandal agriculture officers, and other officials attended the meeting.