Hyderabad: Fertiliser booking troubles have added to the difficulties faced by farmers in Ellareddypet mandal of Rajanna Sircilla district. Farmers said government apps and online booking requirements were making fertiliser purchases difficult during the busy farming season.
At a time when farmers need to intensify fieldwork after sowing, many are struggling with digital procedures. Instead of heading to their fields, they are spending hours at digital centres trying to book fertiliser bags.
The government had introduced a special app for urea purchases, according to the source. Meanwhile, the Centre has also brought potash and DAP fertilisers under online booking, increasing the difficulties for farmers.
Most farmers in villages across Ellareddypet mandal reportedly lack basic knowledge of smartphones and online booking. As a result, many depend on others to complete the digital process.
Farmers approaching primary agricultural cooperative societies and private sales centres said officials required a confirmed app slot before issuing urea bags. Without a booked slot, they were reportedly asked to return without fertiliser.
Technical problems have further complicated the process for farmers. Frequent server failures and delayed OTPs have forced them to wait for hours while attempting to complete bookings.
Fertiliser booking troubles grow with mandatory farmer registration
Farmer groups in the mandal have criticised the sudden dependence on apps without adequate awareness or an alternative system. They have urged officials to restore offline fertiliser distribution so farmers can obtain supplies without facing digital barriers.
Another difficulty has emerged with mandatory farmer registration. Some land-owning farmers had not completed registration and therefore could not receive fertiliser bags through the newly introduced A FFS app.
Even farmers who completed registration remained uncertain about when their fertiliser would become available. Therefore, they have sought clear information from officials about the process and supply schedule.
Farmers in the mandal have asked authorities to respond quickly and clarify the arrangements. They also demanded changes to the current system, which they said had become a major obstacle during the farming season.