A tragic incident in Madhya Pradesh has brought attention to the ongoing fertilizer crisis in the state. A 36-year-old farmer from Guna died after posting a viral video exposing the alleged black marketing of fertilizers. The farmer, in his video, complained about the shortage of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer, a key input for rabi crops, revealing that people were buying it at government-mandated prices using fraudulent means, only to resell it at exorbitant rates.
In the video that went viral on social media, the farmer accused individuals of exploiting the fertilizer shortage. He stated, “The government rate for DAP is ₹1,350 per bag, but it’s being sold for ₹3,000 by using the Aadhar cards of toddlers.” This claim highlighted the alleged black marketing of fertilizers during a crucial period for farmers. “He urged the government to distribute fertilizers based on the actual landholdings of farmers, claiming that a massive fraud was taking place.
Following his death, the opposition Congress party alleged that the farmer had died by suicide due to the ongoing fertilizer shortage, with some claiming that the authorities pressured the family into cremating the body without a postmortem. Former Union Minister Arun Yadav claimed that the farmer committed suicide due to the unavailability of fertilizer, and he accused the district administration of pressuring the family to cremate the body without a postmortem. Yadav’s statement raised concerns about the administration’s handling of the situation amid the fertilizer shortage crisis.
Farmer leader Rahul Raj echoed these concerns, noting that the farmer had been tirelessly seeking fertilizer for days but had been unable to get any. “The crisis has been ongoing since October, and farmers are still waiting in long queues for fertilizers,” he said.
District authorities insist that the farmer died from a medical condition. District Collector Satendra Singh stated that the farmer entered a hospital in Indore on November 13, where doctors diagnosed him with a blood clot in his brain. The farmer’s family requested his discharge, but he later passed away from chest pain. Singh clarified that the family confirmed his illness, and rumors about suicide were unfounded. Singh emphasized that the farmer’s family confirmed his illness and dismissed rumors of suicide as unfounded.
Farmers have reported a long-standing shortage of fertilizers, particularly DAP, in Madhya Pradesh. They claim that the government has not met the demand, distributing only half of the required 10 lakh metric tons of fertilizer. The shortage has caused black market sales to rise, with sellers inflating DAP prices, which has left farmers struggling to secure the necessary supplies for the sowing season.
