Farmers will not face urea shortage: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal

MANSA: The government has asked fertiliser units to produce surplus urea to meet its growing demand during winter sowing season, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today.

Punjab has sought the Centre's intervention in stepping up urea supply while highlighting that its shortage was hampering wheat sowing in the state.

Wheat growers in Punjab and Haryana have resorted to "panic buying" of fertiliser in anticipation of its "severe" shortage that could affect prospects of bumper winter crop.

"Farmers will not face any urea shortage. The government has taken up this issue seriously and asked the urea manufacturing units to produce surplus urea," she said here today.

The SAD-BJP led Punjab government has raised the urea issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding his personal intervention for stepping up urea supply.

The state faces "acute" shortage of urea that is affecting wheat crop sowing, it had said in a letter to the Prime Minister recently.

The Union Food Processing Industry minister said efforts are being made to encourage farmers to grow horticulture crops.

Meanwhile, she also expressed condolences to the family of Naik Jagsir Singh in Boha, who got martyred in Arnia sector of Jammu.