No urea shortage in Telangana: Tummala

State Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Wednesday asserted that farmers in Telangana faced no shortage of Urea during the ongoing Rabi season, with the government ensuring seamless availability.

Replying during Question Hour in the Legislative Council, the Minister said Urea consumption rose this season, with farmers purchasing 10.73 lakh metric tonnes as of March 18, compared to 10.24 lakh metric tonnes during the previous Rabi. He highlighted the success of the state’s "Urea App", introduced to eliminate long queues and enable farmers to book fertilizer in advance from nearby dealers at their convenience. He claimed Telangana is the only state in India to implement such a system.

Responding to a query by MLC Takkellapalli Ravinder Rao, the Minister admitted supply disruptions during April - June last year due to global factors and production issues at Ramagundam and Nagarjuna Fertilizers. However, he said the state secured supplies beyond its quota by pressing the Centre, following directions from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The government had supplied 15,000 tonnes more fertilizer during Kharif and 30,000 tonnes more than last Yasangi season, he added.

A pilot "Fertilizer Booking App" has also been rolled out, allowing the farmers to reserve stocks for 24 hours after booking. So far, 20.74 lakh farmers have purchased 88.35 lakh bags through the app, including tenant and NDS farmers.

Despite opposition criticism, Tummala said farmers have widely accepted the system. He added that awareness campaigns are being conducted to caution against excessive use of Urea.