With urea scarce at private dealers, most of the demand is now directed towards PACSs across the state. Yet long queues and disappointed farmers remain a persistent feature.
Published Sep 17, 2025 | 3:00 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 17, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Farmers like Kethavath Babu and N Narasimhulu are still waiting for a bag of urea in Medak
Synopsis: Farmers across rural Telangana have been forced to stand in long queues daily as the acute shortage of urea continues to disrupt the ongoing Rabi planting season. The scarcity has compelled villagers to travel long distances to PACS shops, which nonetheless run out of supply within hours, even as the state scrambles to secure adequate stock. South First was on the ground in Medak to report on the growing anxiety among cultivators as the months-long crisis drags on.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a steady stream of farmers began arriving in Ramayampet town, in Telangana’s Medak district. Starting at around 4 am, the crowd swelled to over 1,000 within a few hours.
It was not a village fair, nor a political rally. Rather, the visitors were there in the hope of securing one of the most prized commodities in the state in recent weeks: urea.
The fertiliser, widely used to replenish nitrogen in the soil, has been in severe shortage for months across the country. In Telangana, where dependence is unusually high, it has become even scarcer.
By 10 am, the local Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) had run out of stock, despite having received a truckload just the previous evening.
The scene is not unique to Ramayampet. It has become a daily reality in rural Telangana as farmers scramble to secure enough urea for crops sown during the ongoing Rabi season.
With urea scarce at private dealers, most of the demand is now directed towards PACSs across the state. Yet long queues and disappointed farmers remain a persistent feature.
Visuals of such scenes are being used by the opposition in the state to pressure the ruling Congress, which is struggling to secure adequate supply from the centre.
South First was on the ground, speaking to farmers about the ongoing crisis and a growing fear that has increasingly gripped them.
Kethavath Babu, a 32-year-old farmer, has been travelling nearly 18 kilometres from his village of Naskal Nagaram to Ramayampet every day for a week, after failing to secure a single bag of urea from Nizampet, which is closer to his village.
“Each person is getting only one measly bag of urea. Most others are not even able to get that. I’m waking up at 2am and coming here. I don’t even brush or have food until I go back home,” he told South First.
“I cultivate rice and maize on my two acres and 10 guntas of land in Naskal. The rice I’m growing needs urea. We are not able to get any urea at private shops, nor from government shops. We managed to source one lorry for Naskal, but it wasn’t even sufficient.”
Similarly, 55-year-old N Narasimhulu travels to Ramayampet every morning in a shared auto hired by several villagers, all hoping to secure urea for his farm in Damaracheruvu, a village just three kilometres away.
“We are not even able to find any urea elsewhere. If we could, most of us would’ve just spent the extra amount because it’s important not to lose the crop,” he said.
“We were here by about 5 this morning. I cultivate paddy on my four acres, for which I need about six to seven bags.”
Sidhamma, another resident of Damaracheruvu, voiced similar frustration. Unlike Narasimhulu and Babu, she was able to get a bag of urea this season.
“I’ve been coming here with a few others, walking all the way from Damaracheruvu. We start queueing up at about 4 in the morning for a bag of urea. This entire season, I couldn’t get a single bag until today,” the 50-year-old recounted.
She cultivates paddy on about three acres of land her family owns and says she needs about 10 bags of urea for a good yield.
“Even today, I queued up at about 4 in the morning. While I was able to get a bag, it is far from enough for my crop. But at least I managed one. In my village, some couldn’t even get a single bag and don’t think they will either,” she said.
Most farmers South First spoke to in Ramayampet expressed fear that time was not on their side and they could not afford any further delays in fertiliser procurement. Many estimate they have only about a week before their crops reach an irreversible stage.
“There is no more time left. What is the use of adding urea to a dead crop? A lot of us invest about ₹20,000 into the crops. But not getting urea on time could make that investment a direct loss,” Babu said.
“There is only one week. If we don’t get urea before that, forget low yields, my entire crop is gone. Food will help a starving man push on for a little longer. What use is that food if all that’s left to feed is a corpse?”
Narasimhulu and Sidhamma agreed.
“This one bag will not turn the tables for my crop. It will only help it get by a little longer,” Sidhamma added.
Babu, meanwhile, placed the blame on the ruling Congress government.
“Since they’ve come to power, we are spending less time on farming and more on roaming about in search of urea,” he said. “If we do not get this urea, we’ll have to let go of the entire crop.”
The prolonged shortage has put enormous strain on government distribution centres, which remain the last hope for farmers.
“Today we received about 500 bags of urea. We started distribution at about 7.30 am but were completely out by 10 am,” an official at the Ramayampet PACS told South First.
“By my estimates, over 1,000 people showed up to secure a bag of urea. Because of the limited load, we had to turn more than half of them away. When we do this, we’re looked at like the enemy.”
The official alleged that the inability of private distributors to stock fertiliser has worsened the crisis.
“This year, most private players were unable to stock up the usual amounts of urea. Hence, almost every farmer has become reliant on their local PACS. Even if our load was for normal conditions, the sheer demand has meant that we’ve had to struggle to supply urea this season,” he said.
He also explained a measure being followed to ease the pressure.
“Every load of about 450 to 500 bags is sent to one of the eight sale points under the Ramayampet PACS. These include Akkannapet, Katrayal, Railapur, Nalapur, and Naskal, among others. This ensures that farmers don’t need to come to the headquarters every time. The next load is likely to head to Railapur,” he added.
Telangana is set to receive another 40,000 metric tonnes of urea following a request from Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao. The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers issued fresh orders on Monday.
This is in addition to the 40,000 metric tonnes already allocated earlier, taking the state’s total supply to 1,04,000 metric tonnes in the first 15 days of September.
During his visit to New Delhi, the minister met Rajat Kumar Mishra, Secretary of the Department of Fertilisers, and pressed for a continuous supply to meet farmers’ immediate needs.
He said urea is critical for crops such as paddy, maize, and cotton, and that the next 10 to 15 days are crucial for cultivation. A shortage at this stage, he warned, could severely damage crops.
To make up for shortfalls from previous months, the state has sought 2 lakh metric tonnes of urea for September and 1 lakh metric tonnes within the next 10 days.
In response, the Centre has assured 80,000 metric tonnes this week. Of this, 40,000 metric tonnes will be supplied through shipments from Indian Potash Limited, Coromandel International Limited, and National Bulk Handling Corporation Limited.
The following vessels have been allocated to deliver the stock:
The Union Secretary assured that Telangana would be given priority in imports, even as domestic production struggles to keep pace.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
