He directed the officers of various concerned organizations to take necessary measures to ensure smooth supply of petroleum to the farmers.
Generally irrigation for paddy cultivation starts in mid of December every year and continues till 15th of May next year.
During this time, farmers across the country require huge quantities of diesel to run their irrigation pumps.
According to data from the Energy Division of MPEMR placed in the meeting, the fuel consumption of agriculture sector in the current financial year (2022-23) was estimated at 13.97 lakh (1.39 million) tonnes (MT) while that of lube oil was estimated at 45,971. tons.
In the last financial year (2021-22), the agriculture sector consumed 11.50 lakh (1.15 million) metric tonnes (MT) of diesel, which was 16.64 per cent of the country’s total consumption.