The government has urged the Centre to rationalise fertiliser prices to reduce farmers’ reliance on urea, which was being overused as it was the least expensive. (Representational Image: DC)

 Hyderabad: The government has urged the Centre to rationalise fertiliser prices to reduce farmers’ reliance on urea, which was being overused as it was the least expensive.

According to the government, urea consumption has increased significantly over the past few years, from 14 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to 20.7 lakh tonnes by last year. The high subsidies on urea and DAP had led to increased consumption of these fertilisers, it said.

While a 45-kg bag of urea is available for approximately Rs 240 to Rs 266, a 50-kg bag of DAP costs Rs 1,350, and a bag of 19:9:19 complex fertiliser Rs 1,750. Due to this price disparity, farmers were increasingly using urea and DAP in excessive quantities without considering the balance of nutrients required by the crop, the government said.

Of particular cause for concern was paddy farmers were using phosphorus and nitrogen in quantities higher than the recommended dosage. With respect to maize, instead of the recommended three bags of urea, farmers were using five to 10 bags per acre. In cotton, nitrogen use was 10-15 per cent higher than the recommended dosage, while potash use is about 30 per cent lower, the government added.

Despite repeatedly appealing to the Centre for the rationalisation of fertilizer prices, therd has been no visible response, agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said on Tuesday. He urged the Centre to take appropriate measures to rationalize fertilizer prices which could lead to reduction in use of urea beyond the recommended amounts.

Tags: