Posted October 25, 2021

Day 333

Toll 641

Fertiliser

In the method of farming glorified as Green Revolution, farmers have become increasingly dependent on fertilisers. Recently a newspaper reported that India has a huge shortage of fertilisers. Especially, DAP – Diammonium phosphate. Last year India needed 5023 thousand tonnes, this year only 2075 thousand tonnes is available. It is the same for Urea, NPKS, MOP.

Modi government, on October 12, approved an increase in the subsidy on DAP from Rs 24,231 to Rs 33,000 per tonne, besides that on three NPKS complexes. The decision was taken to make it viable for fertiliser firms to import and also stop them from raising maximum retail prices (MRP) too sharply, especially given the upcoming state elections. But what do we do when we still do not have supplies?

Two days back, in Lalitpur, UP a farmer Bhogilal Pal died because he had been standing in queue for two days and fell from exertion, later heart attack. The district has around 3 lakh hectares of cultivable land. Last year, in the month of October and November, around 32,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers were consumed in Lalitpur. Sources said the district had stocks of 19,000 metric tonnes, but was struggling to meet demand following the rain last week. Out of the total 270 shops in the district, just around 150 are functional.

Two days back, facing acute shortage, in Ateli market, Mahendergarh district, desperate farmers looted fertilisers from the government godowns. The idea is: make the farming conditions so bad that farmers just quit the profession. This is what this government has done to self-respecting, seemingly sovereign farmers.

Video: Kisan Morcha