E-token mandatory for fertilizer, 50% farmers lack smartphone skills:Kharif sowing nears; uncertainty over portal timings

As the Kharif sowing season approaches, farmers in several districts of Madhya Pradesh, including Guna, Ashok Nagar, and Shivpuri, are facing difficulties due to the mandatory e-token system introduced for purchasing fertilizer. Under the new arrangement, farmers must generate an online token before they can obtain fertilizer from distribution centers. However, many farmers, particularly those in rural areas, are finding it difficult to navigate the digital process. According to local estimates, nearly 50% of farmers either do not own Android smartphones or are unfamiliar with online procedures. As a result, they are being forced to depend on MP Online centers, cyber cafes, relatives, or acquaintances to generate the required tokens. Farmers say they are spending an additional ₹30 to ₹50 per token, adding to their cultivation costs even before purchasing fertilizer. Apart from the financial burden, uncertainty surrounding the portal’s functioning has emerged as a major concern. Farmers claim there is no fixed timing for the portal to open, making it difficult to plan their visits. In many cases, they have to make repeated trips to online service centers after finding the portal inaccessible or non-functional. The requirement of linking Aadhaar with mobile numbers and land records has also created hurdles for many farmers. Those without proper linkage or a valid Farmer ID are unable to generate tokens, delaying their access to fertilizer. With the onset of the monsoon and sowing activities drawing closer, farmers say they are spending more time dealing with technical formalities than preparing their fields. Concerns are growing that delays in fertilizer procurement could affect timely sowing operations. To understand the challenges being faced on the ground, Dainik Bhaskar examined the e-token process and spoke to farmers across Guna, Ashok Nagar, and Shivpuri districts, where complaints about the system have become increasingly common. Read the report… Two pictures from ground zero: Questions raised on the system Case 1: Elderly farmer broke down crying in front of Collector When Collector Kishor Kumar Kanyal reached the Nanakhedi fertilizer distribution center in Guna on June 5, farmer Shivnandan Raghuwanshi from village Ukavad broke down crying in front of him. Shivnandan, who had walked 40 kilometers, said that I don’t know how to use a mobile phone or ride a bicycle. I have been wandering hungry and thirsty for two days. The Collector did arrange fertilizer for him, but he only got 2 bags, whereas he needed 6 bags. The farmer’s question is, how will sowing be done with so little fertilizer? Case 2: 640 bags of DAP disappeared from bageri center in just 1 day! Farmers were told at the Bageri center in Bamori that DAP was not available, while there were 640 bags in stock in the warehouse. The in-charge said that the stock was not uploaded on the portal. After this, during the holidays of June 6-7, suddenly the stock appeared on the portal, e-tokens were issued, and the entire stock was also exhausted. Farmers are now raising questions about how all this happened in one day at a closed center. This should be investigated. Govt’s new system has increased farmers’ troubles The government has made a major change in the system regarding fertilizer distribution this time. Earlier, tokens were issued to farmers directly at fertilizer distribution centers, and fertilizer was provided based on those tokens, but now an e-token system has been implemented, under which farmers have to first generate tokens online through a mobile app or website. Farmers say that this process is so complex that it is not easy for common farmers to book tokens themselves. A large number of farmers do not know how to operate mobiles and apps, so they have to take help from MP Online, cyber cafes, or other people. Despite this, getting tokens is not easy. According to farmers, there is no fixed time for the portal. Sometimes it opens at night and sometimes in the morning, but this information does not reach farmers on time. In such a situation, farmers wander around repeatedly to get tokens generated, but many times they have to return empty-handed due to the portal being closed. As a result, even before getting fertilizer, farmers are stuck in the e-token process. The process of generating e-token from Balram app is also difficult Earlier, tokens were directly available by hand at fertilizer centers, but now, under the government’s new rules, online coupons have to be generated from the Balram app. This process is extremely complex. Fraud in E-Token to obtain more fertilizer in Khandwa Taking advantage of loopholes in the e-token system, around 80 farmers in Khandwa registered sugarcane, banana, and onion instead of their regular crops to obtain more fertilizer. After the investigation, the administration has cancelled the tokens of all of them. Two major reasons for fertilizer shortage: Global tension and local pressure Due to rising tensions between America, Israel, and Iran (Middle East crisis), India’s fertilizer production declined by 24.6% in March 2026. India depends on Gulf countries for 60% of its gas requirements and 40% of its urea. The disruption of the supply chain in the Strait of Hormuz has had a direct impact on India’s fertilizer market. Farming on Forest Land: The Agriculture Department sends fertilizer demands according to 3.36 lakh hectares of agricultural land in revenue records, but in Guna district alone, farming is being done on approximately 51 thousand hectares of forest land (which is recorded in NGT records). Separate fertilizer does not come for this additional land, which increases pressure on the stock.