Latest news with #VijayChandak
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Data mismatch in urea stock may hamper state's quota from Centre
Nagpur: With urea supply taking a hit this season, the state's agriculture department has tightened its vigil on the fertiliser dealers to prevent any diversion of stock. There is a mismatch in stock data shown in the point of sales (POS) machines provided to the dealers and the actual stock with them, said sources. As a result, there are chances that the state's quota may be cut on the grounds that there is enough urea available in Maharashtra's districts, said sources. The dealers are supposed to sell urea and other subsidised fertilisers like di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) through POS machines provided by the state govt. The data has to be fed in the machines too. It has been noticed that in a number of cases, the POS machines show higher stock availability than what was actually found in an ongoing stock verification drive. Out of 400 dealers in the Nagpur division, the mismatch was found in about 100, said sources. Each district is allotted a quota for urea supply by the state, which in turn gets the allotment from the Centre. The POS data is the basis for judging the availability in each district. If the machines show unsold urea, the state may not get a fresh supply, explained a source. The agriculture department is also probing whether urea is being diverted to the grey market too, said a source. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A Teaspoon Before Bed Burns Body Fat - Fit Into Your Clothes Again! Health & Family Click Here Undo To ensure enough quota, a stock verification drive has been carried for the first time in recent years, said sources. Secretary of Nagpur Agro Dealers Association, Vijay Chandak, said this is not deliberate. The sales have to be updated on the POS machines, but it gets delayed due to poor connectivity in rural areas. Moreover, sometimes traders genuinely miss updating the POS, leading to the mismatch. A source in the fertiliser industry said there is a shortage because of worldwide gap between the consumption patterns of urea as compared to the manufacturing facilities. There has been a marked increase in urea demand post-Covid in a bid to increase agricultural output, leading to a global deficit. As against tender of quantity up to 10 lakh tonnes of urea supply, only 5 to 6 tonnes is being offered by the vendors, said a source in the industry.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Biz stunted due to illegal HT seeds; Nagpur, Wardha dealers call for strike today
Nagpur: Seed dealers in Nagpur and Wardha — both predominantly cotton-growing belts — have called for a strike on Monday alleging that illegal herbicide-tolerant (HT) seeds have eaten away half of their business. HT seeds are genetically engineered to be resistant to glyphosate, a cheap weed killer whose commercial sale awaits a green signal from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The seed buying season is over, and the dealers are left with nearly 50% to 40% of unsold stock. They will now have to run after the seed companies to refund the booking amount. The companies may refund the amount if they relent or adjust it for the coming season, said the traders TOI spoke to. A packet of the authorised BG II seed, which is only effective against the bollworm pest, has MRP of Rs901 a packet. In contrast, farmers paid nearly Rs2,000 for a packet of HT seeds, said the dealers. As per the traders, the HT seeds are illegally grown in the hinterlands of Gujarat and smuggled to Vidarbha. Vijay Chandak, president of Nagpur Agro Dealers Association, said the illegal seeds have completely overshadowed the market. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bring home all new SP160 & get an instant cashback up to ₹5000# Honda Learn More Undo "HT seeds have been the first choice of farmers this time. A massive proliferation of the seeds grown in clandestine farms can also lead to a crisis for the region's farmers. Sold in the grey market, there is no guarantee of the seeds' performance. There are chances that the weed killer may even destroy the cotton seed, and farmers would not be able to claim any compensation from the govt," said Chandak. Ravi Shende, his counterpart in Wardha, also spoke of a similar situation in the district. "The seeds come from Gujarat, where an entire illegal industry seems to operate. The govt must act against it," he said. Farm activist Vijay Jawandhia alleged that a number of operators are simply plucking off the seeds from the HT cotton and packing it to Vidarbha. "Even if grown illegally, the method is to develop a seed through hybridisation. The seeds taken out of the cotton crop can lack the required vigour. Yet, farmers are paying as much as Rs2,000 for a packet of such seeds," he said. Box Shortage of workers to clear weeds The high demand for HT seeds also indicates a labour shortage in the hinterland. It enables the free use of glyphosate-based weed killers on cotton plants, instead of deploying labour to manually clear the weeds. There is also a strong lobby for legalising HT seeds. In 2019, Shetkari Sangathana openly sowed the seeds, challenging the govt to take action. The seeds were developed by Mahyco-Monsanto, which withdrew from the trials, due to which it remains illegal to use. Glyphosate, however, is at present only allowed in non-cropped areas and tea gardens.
