As the kharif season kicks off, farmers in Balaghat are staring at a fresh crisis even before paddy sowing begins, with fertilizer shortages and sharply rising prices threatening to derail their plans. An El Nino effect is already being factored in this year, raising fears of below normal rainfall, yet farmers have gone ahead with their preparations for sowing despite the shortage of essential fertilizers.
How much fertilizer prices have jumped
Societies in the area are stocking NPK 102626 this year, priced at Rs 2450. NPK 2020013, which was selling for Rs 1450 just a few days ago, has now climbed to Rs 2100, a straight jump of Rs 650. SSP fertilizer has also become costlier, rising from Rs 505 to Rs 605. DAP, the fertilizer in highest demand among farmers, is completely missing from societies, adding to the worry.
Costs have doubled even as incomes haven't
Agriculture remains a major pillar of India's economy, but the very farmers who helped build that economy are now calling farming a losing proposition. Fuel prices have risen in recent times, and farming today depends heavily on machinery, which has pushed up fuel consumption on farms. Rising inflation has also driven up wage rates. Farmers say that while the government may not have managed to double their income, the cost of farming has certainly doubled.
Kisan Garjana intensifies protest
Farmers under the banner of Kisan Garjana have been holding continuous protests in Balaghat. Arvind Chaudhary, the state president of the organisation, said the agitation will be carried out in phases. As a first step, rural units of the organisation will submit memorandums at societies, followed by a larger scale protest later. He said the cost of farming keeps rising for small and medium farmers, and the government may have to face growing farmer anger over the issue. Notably, the opposition has been largely absent on this issue.
Experts push organic farming and soil testing
Experts believe farmers need to change their farming practices to bring down costs. Doing so would maintain crop quality, boost output, and free the land from dependence on chemical fertilizers. They recommend increasing the use of organic manure. Experts also suggest adopting newer farming methods such as the DSR technique, which allows direct sowing in fields at a lower cost. They advise using cow dung manure in place of chemical fertilizers and applying blue green algae in fields.
The most important step, according to experts, is getting the soil tested. This reveals exactly how many nutrients a field needs and which fertilizer should be applied in what quantity. This not only cuts costs but also keeps the land fertile for the long run.
