A severe shortage of fertilizers — mainly urea, potash, and phosphate — has sparked a crisis in Kuttanad and other parts of Alappuzha district, Kerala. The puncha crop season, which covers the largest area for paddy farming in the district, is underway. Farmers urgently need urea for their paddy crops between 18 and 22 days after planting. Many are currently at this stage but cannot find enough fertilizers. Siji Chacko, secretary of Aikya Kuttanad Padasekhara Ekopana Samithi, said, "Farmers are finding it difficult to procure adequate quantities of fertilizers. It is high time the government addressed the issue, as there are serious concerns that productivity will be affected. Farmers are staring at huge losses." The shortage has forced many farmers and padasekhara samithis to skip cultivation this puncha season. Prices have also soared, with urea costing ₹300 per 45-kg sack and potash rising to ₹1,800 from ₹1,500 per bag. The Union government was supposed to supply Kerala with about 43,000 tonnes of urea from October to December but has sent only 20,000 tonnes so far. Both the State government and farmers believe the Centre's push for nano fertilizers has worsened the shortage. Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, raised the issue recently in the Lok Sabha, stating, "The scarcity was seriously affecting agriculture in the State." He added the shortage disrupted key crops like paddy, coconut, arecanut, rubber, cocoa, cardamom, and pineapple. "In the pineapple sector alone, the annual requirement is 22,500 tonnes of urea and 15,000 tonnes of potash. The prevailing shortage is forcing farmers to shift to costlier alternative and complex fertilizers, leading to a sharp rise in production costs and causing nutrient imbalance in agriculture," Suresh explained. He criticized the Centre's failure to ensure timely supply despite repeated State requests and urged urgent action to supply needed fertilizers immediately to Kerala.