VEHARI, Aug 6: Cotton growers are facing the shortage of urea fertilisers, Dawn has observed.

A group of growers from Mailsi said the Punjab government had failed to provide urea fertilisers on official rates to them and that the district administration had not taken any action against the dealers creating artificial shortage of the commodity in the cotton season.

A urea bag is currently being sold at Rs700 to Rs800, against the prescribed prices of Rs635.

Urea is so much sought-after thing that a farmer of the Thingi area had to seek the help of his friend in police to buy the fertilisers for his crop. He said that even though farmers were ready to buy urea at inflated rates, traders were not ready to sell their stocks perhaps hoping more hikes in prices.

According to a source, urea agency holders have shifted their stock in rural areas like Pipli Stip, Machiwal, Luddan, Gagoo, Karampur, Garha Mor, Tibba Sultanpur and Sahoka.

Vehari District Coordination Officer (DCO) Muhammad Khuram Agha raided various godowns in Luddan and Machiwal and seized over 1,000 urea bags. But his raids did not help resolve the issue at a large scale. A hoarder said on the condition of anonymity all big farmers had bought urea before the season which created the shortage of urea.Vehari Kissan Board President Jawed Husain Shah said the government had failed to provide any relief to growers. He said the Kissan Board would start a protest campaign soon to condemn “anti-growers policies” of the government. He said cotton and other crops would be affected for non-availability of urea fertilisers in the markets.

Many growers also complained that the urea and DAP fertilisers they had bought before the season were fake.

DCO Khuram Agha claimed urea supply was short these days because of low production in factories. He said the government was trying to meet the demand of farmers.

SAHIWAL: Fertiliser dealers are charging Rs215 extra for each Urea bag they sell to the farmers because of alleged Urea shortage in the local market.