Farmers in Madha are reeling under acute fertiliser shortage and have threatened to intensify their agitation ahead of Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's visit to his parliamentary constituency tomorrow.
Angry farmers today stoned government offices in Madha demanding immediate supply of fertilisers for their standing crops including sugarcane, soybean and sunflower.
Police cane-charged many farmers after the situation became grim in several assembly segments, which witnessed serpentine queues at Malshias, Karmala and Sangola to get fertilisers.
The Shetkari Sanghatan has threatened to organise demonstrations, when Pawar visits the constituency, to press for their demands.
According to farmers, the shortage is artificial and engineered by stockists to double their profit.
"We get the stick if we demand a few bags of fertiliser. We can't believe that this is the parliamentary seat of Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, where we have to face police ire on demanding fertiliser. We can’t save our crops if fertiliser is not supplied on time," Sunil Shinde a farmer from Madha told PTI.
A bag of urea that costs Rs320 is being sold at Rs450, farmers alleged.
According to district guardian secretary Anand Kulkarni, the fertiliser requirement of the district is four lakh tonnes approximately.
