The Managing Director of farmers’ cooperative IFFCO Dr U S Awasthi has once again warned the government against the excessive use of urea in the wake of the news that govt decision not to hike urea price for next four years will lead to its indiscriminate uses.
While talking to Times of India Awasthi said “Keeping low price of Urea is not good for farmer and the soil. The only best solution is to give direct subsidy to him (farmer) and let him decide how much N, P or K he is going to use for his yield.The current price of urea is quite low and subsidy given at that price is not helping our farmers, as they are not using it in judicious way.“
Later IFFCO MD for the benefits of his followers tweeted “ Keeping Low Price of #Urea is not good 4 #Farmer & #Soil. Give him direct subsidy. My say in today’s @TOIIndiaNews”.
Echoing Awasthi’s words B S Dwivedi, head of the soil science and agriculture chemistry division of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the TOI quoted, said “Urea, being the most common nitrogenous (N) fer tilizer, is indiscriminately used irrespective of scientific prescriptions. Its excessive use leads to several adverse implications on soil, crop quality and overall eco-system“.
Though the experts have long been demanding policy intervention to encourage balanced use of Urea in the N P and K basket, any bold step in terms of price hike of urea has always been resisted by successive governments due to its possible political fallout It is however suggested that steps to maintain the balance on supply side through production and pricing decisions can be taken in a phased manner (staggered over years) so that it may not impact farmers immediately , according to TOI report.