Bhubaneswar: Odisha cooperation minister RP Swain Friday said that steps are being taken to get the required urea fertilizer from the Centre for the Kharif crop.

The State Markfed had received 1.05 lakh tonnes of urea by the end of July2020 as against 1.50 lakh tonnes.

The Markfed had made available 1.17 lakh tonnes of urea to farmers through the 2081 PACSs and Lamps in the 30 districts of the State. Last year by 31st August 1.42 lakh tonnes and by 30th September 1.67 lakh tonnes of urea were received by the State.

Stating that the urea fertilizer supply to the State has been disrupted due to the Covid-19 lockdown and shut down, the minister said the Markfed is taking steps like making available railway rakes for the fertilizer supply.

Meanwhile, the union steel minister Dharmendra Pradhan had talked to the union fertizer minister Mansukh Mandaviya regarding the shortage of urea in the State. According to Pradhan, the minister has assured to address the problem immediately.