ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The government is importing 190,000 metric tons of urea to bridge the gap in fertiliser supply-demand.

The consignment is expected to arrive in the country by Dec 31. Another shipment of 387,000 metric tons of urea will arrive by Jan 15. Farmers were hit by shortage of urea fertiliser after dealers started selling it at Rs950 against the government-fixed price of Rs660 a bag.

An agriculture ministry official told Dawn on Saturday that complaints were received from Sindh and Punjab where dealers were forcing farmers to buy di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) – costing Rs3,000 a bag – with every purchase of urea at government rates. Wheat-sowing season is under way in both provinces.

He said that the government was procuring 350,000 metric tons of urea from local fertiliser manufacturers, who had 700,000 metric tons in stock.

The official said that the ministry of industry had ordered urea manufacturers to surrender half their stocks to the government on the request of the ministry of agriculture.

The government, he said, would sell urea through Utility Stores and National Fertilisers Company outlets at Rs660 per bag.

Local manufacturers are producing 4.8 million metric tons of urea annually against a demand of 5.4 million metric tons. The deficit of 600,000 metric tons is being met through imports.

The official said that arrangements had been made to transport urea to upcountry.