Fertilizer Crisis Deepens As 2 Madhya Pradesh Farmers Die Waiting In Line

A severe fertilizer shortage across Madhya Pradesh has pushed farmers to desperation, resulting in two tragic deaths within two weeks and triggering widespread protests, road blockades, and political confrontation.

In Tikamgarh district, 50-year-old farmer Jamuna Kushwaha died on Monday after standing in a fertilizer line for three consecutive days at the Badoraghat distribution center. In the last week of November, another farmer, 50-year-old Bhruiya Bai, died after waiting two days in line at a fertilizer centre in Guna district, exposing systemic failures and raising urgent concerns over the administration's handling of urea distribution.

Read | Madhya Pradesh Woman, Waiting In Line For 2 Days To Get Fertiliser, Dies

Jamuna Kushwaha, a resident of Kari Bajarua village, had been struggling for just two bags of urea. On Monday morning, he reached the distribution center without eating, hoping the third day of waiting would bring success. Around 12:00 pm, he collapsed in the queue after vomiting.

He was rushed to a district hospital in a government vehicle, but doctors declared him dead at 3:00 pm. Postmortem findings confirmed a heart attack.

Jamuna's son said, "He kept searching for fertilizer everywhere and died waiting for it." His younger brother alleged that Jamuna's health deteriorated due to the relentless queues and stress of not getting fertilizer.

Tikamgarh DDA Ashok Sharma claimed that 19,000 tons of urea have been distributed and an additional 2,800 tons have been demanded.

He added, "There is no information about any death at the Badoraghat center. Fertilizer is being given according to dates on tokens."

However, farmers strongly contest this, saying tokens are not being issued fairly, queues stretch for several hours, and many are returning empty-handed.

Across Tikamgarh, frustration has reached a breaking point. In Kharagpur, hundreds of farmers blocked the highway on Monday to protest the acute shortage of urea. Long lines of vehicles backed up for kilometres as chaos spread.

In some areas, desperate farmers reportedly looted fertilizer stock, while in others they locked cooperative society gates in anger. The crisis has sparked a sharp political confrontation in Sheopur, Tikamgarh, and adjoining districts.

BJP leaders claim the state has adequate fertilizer stock and accuse the Congress of "spreading confusion."

Congress leaders, however, say the BJP is ignoring ground reality. District Congress President Reena Ashish Meena said "Farmers are standing in lines for 7-8 days. People are dying, but BJP leaders claim everything is normal. They should change their glasses because the pain of farmers is visible on every road, in every village."