Supply from China cut, Karnataka farmers face DAP shortage: Report
Bengaluru: A drop in Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) imports from China has triggered a fertiliser shortage in Karnataka, leaving farmers struggling at the height of the kharif season.
The disruption has significantly impacted supplies, forcing authorities to suggest alternatives. The state agriculture department and experts are urging farmers to use Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium instead of DAP, as reported by The New Indian Express on Tuesday.
Karnataka requires 4 lakh tonnes of DAP for the ongoing kharif season and an additional 2 lakh tonnes for the upcoming rabi season. While the Centre had allocated 4 lakh tonnes for the current season based on average usage over the past three years, only 1.89 lakh tonnes have been supplied so far.
Agriculture department sources quoted in the news report said they had a stock of around 76,000 tonnes from last year. “We have been able to distribute 1.9 lakh tonnes so far, including from the last year’s stock. For rabi, allocation will be in July-end. We don’t know how much we will get,” they added.
India relies heavily on imports for its DAP supply—about 48% of the annual requirement—most of which comes from China. However, China has reportedly curtailed DAP exports due to a combination of political reasons and increased domestic demand for certain ingredients used in other products. Complicating the situation, India also imports phosphoric compounds from countries like Russia, but rising freight costs—exacerbated by shipping disruptions near Karachi after Indo-Pak tensions—have further strained availability.
DAP plays a critical role in farming, delivering essential phosphorus for root development, flowering, and fruiting, while nitrogen component supports vegetative growth.
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Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in corruption cases
Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.
Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.
Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.
The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.
According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
