Now Reading: DAP shortage hits Rajasthan rabi sowing, farmers allege black marketing
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DAP shortage hits Rajasthan rabi sowing, farmers allege black marketing
DAP shortage hits Rajasthan rabi sowing, farmers allege black marketing
Rajasthan is facing a shortage of DAP and urea during the rabi sowing season, with farmers reportedly paying inflated prices. A bag of DAP, officially priced at Rs 1,350, is selling for Rs 2,000 to 2,200, while urea priced at Rs 266.50 is fetching around Rs 500 in the black market, the Times of India reports.
Farmer leader Ram Pal Jat Monday (12 October 2026) sought central and state intervention, alleging hoarding and black marketing. He said Rajasthan's DAP requirement as of 1 October stood at 2.004 lakh tonnes against availability of 1.41 lakh tonnes, a shortfall of 58,600 tonnes.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has directed district administrations to ensure smooth fertiliser supply ahead of Panchayati Raj elections. Agriculture minister Kirodi Lal Meena urged farmers not to panic, stating adequate stocks are available. Protests have been reported in several districts.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The two Times of India articles frame the same shortage differently. The earlier report leads with farmer hardship, black market prices and opposition criticism, quoting Ram Pal Jat's memorandum and the shortfall figure of 58,600 tonnes. The later report leads with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's pre-election directives, official stock figures of 1.04 lakh tonnes of DAP, and the agriculture minister's reassurance against panic. The first omits the CM's response and aggregate stock data, the second omits the black market prices and the specific shortfall. Together they show a government seeking to contain a supply problem that farmers and the opposition say is already acute. The next concrete step is the state's deployment of 744 fertiliser inspectors to monitor supplies.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
