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Extend subsidy benefits to Organic fertilizers, demands Vidharbha Farmers
November 10, 2009
Thakur Das Bang, veteran freedom fighter and Gandhian while inaugurating the Jansunvayi said that “It is high time that the country as whole shift to ecologically sustainable and farmer friendly agriculture.”
Every year Central Government spends crores of rupees on chemical fertilizer subsidies. The budget allocation for 2009-10 for fertilizer subsidies is Rs 49,980 crores. However, over the years, this investment has proven counterproductive as it has led to indiscriminate use of chemicals and subsequent soil degradation and yield stagnation. Union Finance Minister during his budget speech expressed concern over the declining response of agricultural productivity to increased fertilizer usage in the country and proposed a shift to a nutrient based direct subsidy regime instead of the current product pricing regime to ensure balanced usage of chemical fertilizers. [1]
Member of Parliament from Wardha, Datta Meghe, delivered the key note address and demanded the government to give more support to dry land farmers. He also pointed out the need for subsidies for organic farming in dryland regions like Vidarbha. He promised that he will bring this to the attention of the Prime Minister and the Union Agriculture Minister and will also raise it in the coming winter session of the Parliament.
Out of 528 major districts in India, fertilizer consumption in 78 districts is over 200 kg/ha and in 15 districts, it is less than five kg/ha. The irrigated area, which accounts for 40 per cent of the total agricultural area, receives 60 per cent of the fertilizer applied.
Avinash Kakde, Chief Convenor, Kissan Adhikar Abhiyan criticized the present subsidy reforms of the Union Government citing the fact that the focus is again on the chemical fertilizers. He said, “Though government had been doling out thousands of crores in the name of subsidies to agriculture, rainfed regions like Vidarbha are deprived of the benefits of fertilizer subsidy as they cannot use chemical fertilizers due to paucity of water during most of the seasons. This historic anomaly can only be rectified by giving subsidies to organic manures that the dryland farmers use.”
Kissan Adhikar Abhiyan had earlier done a survey of 450 farmers from 41 villages of Wardha district. Ms Nuthan Malwi, an economist and the convenor of the Kissan Adhikar Abhiyan presented the results of the survey which showed that only 2% of the farmers surveyed knew about the existence of any kind of the subsidies to fertilizers. The survey also showed that, as dry land farmers, they used little or no chemical fertilizers. They wanted government support for cattle rearing so that it can act as a source of organic manure while providing them with a livelihood. They also wanted subsidies for all kinds of organic manures that they have been using.
“The farmers should be given the freedom to choose the mode of farming. The Government should just disperse the subsidy money to the farmers on a per acre basis. The subsidy should not be restricted only to chemical farmers, said Vijay Jawandhia of Shetkari Sanghatna.
Abha Kamble, a progressive farmer from Wardha stated that “The soil has been degraded due to years of indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers, and eco-friendly fertilization practices is the only way forward to restore soil health and sustain production.”
The consultation was moderated by a four member panel comprising of Ashok Bang, Atul Sharma, Dr Priti Joshi and Dyaneswar Dhage.
The public hearing at Wardha was the third of the public consultations that Greenpeace India has been doing since the time Union government had proposed reforms in the National fertilizer Subsidy policy “Greenpeace India has been organizing public consultations in dryland areas and in regions where farmers practice eco-friendly farming” said Gopikrishna, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India. “We hope that the Government would take note of the recommendation from these public hearings while deciding on policies that will determine the food security of the country and livelihood security of our farmers”. he added
After the public hearing the gathered farmers also created a formation in front of Bapu Kudi, where Mahatma Gandhi lived, to convey their demand to the Union Government The message read “Subsidies for organic Fertilisers Now!”
Every year Central Government spends crores of rupees on chemical fertilizer subsidies. The budget allocation for 2009-10 for fertilizer subsidies is Rs 49,980 crores. However, over the years, this investment has proven counterproductive as it has led to indiscriminate use of chemicals and subsequent soil degradation and yield stagnation. Union Finance Minister during his budget speech expressed concern over the declining response of agricultural productivity to increased fertilizer usage in the country and proposed a shift to a nutrient based direct subsidy regime instead of the current product pricing regime to ensure balanced usage of chemical fertilizers. [1]
Member of Parliament from Wardha, Datta Meghe, delivered the key note address and demanded the government to give more support to dry land farmers. He also pointed out the need for subsidies for organic farming in dryland regions like Vidarbha. He promised that he will bring this to the attention of the Prime Minister and the Union Agriculture Minister and will also raise it in the coming winter session of the Parliament.
Out of 528 major districts in India, fertilizer consumption in 78 districts is over 200 kg/ha and in 15 districts, it is less than five kg/ha. The irrigated area, which accounts for 40 per cent of the total agricultural area, receives 60 per cent of the fertilizer applied.
Avinash Kakde, Chief Convenor, Kissan Adhikar Abhiyan criticized the present subsidy reforms of the Union Government citing the fact that the focus is again on the chemical fertilizers. He said, “Though government had been doling out thousands of crores in the name of subsidies to agriculture, rainfed regions like Vidarbha are deprived of the benefits of fertilizer subsidy as they cannot use chemical fertilizers due to paucity of water during most of the seasons. This historic anomaly can only be rectified by giving subsidies to organic manures that the dryland farmers use.”
Kissan Adhikar Abhiyan had earlier done a survey of 450 farmers from 41 villages of Wardha district. Ms Nuthan Malwi, an economist and the convenor of the Kissan Adhikar Abhiyan presented the results of the survey which showed that only 2% of the farmers surveyed knew about the existence of any kind of the subsidies to fertilizers. The survey also showed that, as dry land farmers, they used little or no chemical fertilizers. They wanted government support for cattle rearing so that it can act as a source of organic manure while providing them with a livelihood. They also wanted subsidies for all kinds of organic manures that they have been using.
“The farmers should be given the freedom to choose the mode of farming. The Government should just disperse the subsidy money to the farmers on a per acre basis. The subsidy should not be restricted only to chemical farmers, said Vijay Jawandhia of Shetkari Sanghatna.
Abha Kamble, a progressive farmer from Wardha stated that “The soil has been degraded due to years of indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers, and eco-friendly fertilization practices is the only way forward to restore soil health and sustain production.”
The consultation was moderated by a four member panel comprising of Ashok Bang, Atul Sharma, Dr Priti Joshi and Dyaneswar Dhage.
The public hearing at Wardha was the third of the public consultations that Greenpeace India has been doing since the time Union government had proposed reforms in the National fertilizer Subsidy policy “Greenpeace India has been organizing public consultations in dryland areas and in regions where farmers practice eco-friendly farming” said Gopikrishna, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India. “We hope that the Government would take note of the recommendation from these public hearings while deciding on policies that will determine the food security of the country and livelihood security of our farmers”. he added
After the public hearing the gathered farmers also created a formation in front of Bapu Kudi, where Mahatma Gandhi lived, to convey their demand to the Union Government The message read “Subsidies for organic Fertilisers Now!”
Notes to Editor
(1) Union Finance Minister’s budget speech can be accessed at http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2009-10/bs/speecha.htm (Refer para. 34 in this page for his statement on fertilizer subsidies)
Vision, video, photos, report information
Gopikrishna SR Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India Mob: +91 9900897341 Avinash Kakde Chief Convenor, Kissan Adhikar Abhiyan, Wardha, Maharashtra Mob: +91 9730216700
