To ensure that farmers are not forced to purchase unnecessary items containing Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), Moga DC Vishesh Sarangal today appealed to the farming community to get invoices every time they purchase fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.

If a dealer refuses to provide the invoice, farmers should lodge a complaint with the concerned block agriculture officer or chief agriculture officer, Sarangal said.

File a complaint

If a dealer refuses to provide the invoice, farmers should lodge a complaint with the block agriculture officer or chief agriculture officer. Legal action will be taken under the Fertilizer Control Order-1985 against any trader found selling fertilizers, pesticides and seeds without invoices. Vishesh Sarangal, Moga DC

He said legal action would be taken under the Fertilizer Control Ordinance, 1985 against any trader caught selling fertilizers, pesticides and seeds without an invoice. He also asked seed sellers to refrain from selling unnecessary items to farmers, as well as fertilizers and pesticides. Sarangal added that traders involved in black trade of these products would not be spared.

Director Agriculture Dr Sukhraj Kaur Deol urged farmers to use alternative phosphate fertilizers for sowing wheat. She added that apart from DAP, triple superphosphate (46 percent phosphorus) is provided for wheat sowing.

If farmers choose to use triple superphosphate, they can apply 20 kg of urea per acre at sowing time to match the nitrogen and phosphorus levels provided by DAP.

Farmers can also use 20 kg of urea and 155 kg of simple superphosphate (16 percent phosphorus) per acre to meet the nitrogen and phosphorus requirements of wheat cultivation. In addition, NPK fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, such as NPK 16-16-16, NPK 15-15-15, NPK 12-32-16, 10-26-26, urea phosphate d ammonium 24-24-0 and ammonium phosphate sulfate 20-20-0-13 can also be used.