Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

Fertilizer subsidy needs planning

GUNTUR: Payment of fertilizer subsidy directly to farmers as envisaged in the Union Budget requires a lot of planning before implementing it, opined farmers in the district.

Hailing the Union Government’s plan to promote complex fertilizers in place of nitrogen-based ones, a progressive farmer from Medikonduru in the district told The Hindu that this will dissuade farmers from using excessive quantities of nitrogen, which was making fields less productive. "This policy would make the farm lands better suited to cultivation, but Guntur district had to be considered a special case in view of the use of high quantum of nitrogen-based and other fertilizers," opined Mr. Satyanarayana.

What difference would that make? The Government is proposing quota for each farmer depending on the land holding and the crop they grow, but if the subsidy is limited to recommended quantity of fertilizers, in the initial years the yield in all crops would come down drastically, he observed. Suggesting a graded decrease of fertilizer and pesticide use in the Guntur district, he said gradually the farmers would realize the benefits.

The Government has proposed to give subsidy based on the land passbooks, which would severely impact the tenant farmers, who usually do not have agreement for lease-based farming depriving them of the fertilizer subsidy. Demanding a special law or rule to help tenant farmers, who constituted 60 per cent of the farming community, he suggested a broad-based discussion on the issue before the scheme was implemented.

Cooperative farming in the present form would be a failure, he said as none of the farmers would relinquish their right over land.

This was the cause for failure of cooperative farming and that would eventually lead to entire stretch going into the hands of corporate hands.

"When joint family system could not last in Indian context, the success of cooperative farming will be a big question mark," he opined.

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