Centre Approves Full 950 MT Urea Quota for Arunachal Pradesh Farmers

In a significant relief for farmers in Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre has approved the state's full urea requirement of 950 metric tonnes (MT) for April — and it happened within an hour of the issue being raised at a national ministers' conference.

The swift turnaround came after state Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu flagged the shortage at a meeting chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday, held in hybrid mode.

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Prior to the conference, Arunachal Pradesh had been allocated only 100 MT of urea through the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) — a fraction of the 950 MT the state had projected as its requirement for April.

That shortfall was already significant, but officials noted it was compounded by a carry-over requirement of 700 MT from March, when earlier supply disruptions had put pressure on farming operations across the state.

Wangsu also pointed out that no allocation had been made through the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited, further widening the gap between supply and actual need.

The minister stressed that the shortage could not have come at a worse time. Oil palm and tea cultivation are expanding rapidly in Arunachal Pradesh, driving up demand for fertiliser inputs at a pace the existing allocation had failed to keep up with.

Wangsu warned that any delay in supply could disrupt plantation schedules and directly affect farmers' livelihoods during a critical phase of the agricultural calendar.

He also highlighted a persistent pattern — that despite being one of the country's lowest fertiliser-consuming states, Arunachal Pradesh has regularly received less than its assessed urea requirement.

The ministry's response was immediate. Within an hour of Wangsu's intervention at the conference, the allocation was revised and the full 950 MT approved for April.

Wangsu thanked Union Minister Chouhan in a social media post on Thursday, saying the decision would ensure uninterrupted fertiliser availability through the peak cropping season and protect farmers' interests.

He added that the Centre's prompt action reflects its commitment to addressing the agricultural needs of the Northeast, and expressed hope for sustained support going forward.

Officials said necessary arrangements are already being made to ensure smooth distribution of the approved urea across the state before the peak cropping period begins.

With oil palm and tea sectors growing in strategic importance for Arunachal Pradesh's rural economy, consistent fertiliser supply will be key to sustaining that momentum through the season ahead.