Telangana Agriculture Minister Directs Officials to Bolster Urea Reserves Before Kharif Season

Telangana's Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao convened a high-level meeting on Monday to assess urea supplies and stockpiling needs for the upcoming Kharif 2026 season. The deliberations brought together representatives from fertilizer manufacturers and officials from the Agriculture Department at the state Secretariat.

The review encompassed three key areas: the current state of fertilizer availability across the state, mechanisms for its distribution to farming communities, and promotional efforts around Nano Urea technology.

According to briefings at the meeting, Telangana currently maintains a urea buffer stock of 1.46 lakh metric tonnes. The state additionally holds approximately 10,000 metric tonnes of DAP and complex fertilizers.

The state had sought 11.50 lakh metric tonnes of urea from the central government for the Kharif 2026 season. The Union allocation, however, fell short at 10 lakh metric tonnes. The distribution schedule from the Centre breaks down as follows: 2 lakh metric tonnes each for April, May, and June; 1.50 lakh metric tonnes each for July and August; and 1 lakh metric tonne for September.

Deliveries to date have lagged behind scheduled allocations. Officials reported that only 1.53 lakh metric tonnes arrived during April against the allocated amount. May's receipts totalled 48,985 metric tonnes thus far.

With paddy transplantation set to commence in early June, the minister has mandated that the state establish and maintain a urea buffer stock of at least 3.50 lakh metric tonnes by the end of May. He has also instructed the acceleration of transportation for pending urea consignments from the Centre.

A significant directive from the minister concerns the Ramagundam Fertilizer Plant, which operates within Telangana. He has demanded that 90 percent of the facility's urea production be reserved to meet the state's agricultural requirements. In his view, fertilizers manufactured locally should prioritize local farmers during periods of peak demand.

The minister has directed the Agriculture Department to communicate these expectations to the Ramagundam Fertilizer Plant's Managing Director.

Tummala Nageswara Rao issued stern warnings to fertilizer companies regarding delays in supply and distribution operations. He also cautioned wholesale and retail dealers against charging prices above the maximum retail price for fertilizers.

The Centre plans to roll out a pilot programme for a new fertilizer distribution application beginning May 21. The initial phase will operate in Rangareddy and Medchal districts.

The minister has tasked officials with ramping up awareness initiatives centred on Nano Urea adoption. He has called upon fertilizer manufacturers to participate in the weekly "Rythu Nestham" programme, which aims to educate farmers about moderating their use of conventional urea.

Addressing the farming community, the minister urged soil testing as a prerequisite to fertilizer application. He stressed that fertilizer use should align with individual soil health assessments. Excessive application of conventional urea, he cautioned, poses risks to soil fertility and could compromise agricultural productivity in future seasons.