Hyderabad: With paddy transplantation gathering pace in Telangana, agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has written to Union chemicals and fertilisers minister JP Nadda seeking immediate allocation of an additional 1 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of DAP fertiliser for Aug and Sept to prevent any shortage during the ongoing kharif season.In his letter, the minister thanked the Centre for allocating additional DAP supplies to the state in July, saying it had helped meet farmers’ requirements. He, however, pointed out that demand for DAP would increase significantly in Aug as nearly 50 per cent of the targeted paddy transplantation has already been completed and the remaining area would be covered during the month.Tummala said Telangana was allocated 2.2 LMT of DAP between April and July, but had so far received only 1.55 LMT. As on July 31, the state had a closing stock of just 0.2 LMT.He also told the Union minister that farmers were increasingly opting for DAP following the rise in prices of complex fertilisers.The minister requested the Centre to allocate 0.5 LMT of DAP for Aug and another 0.5 LMT for Sept to ensure uninterrupted fertiliser supply during the kharif season.
