High fertilizer cost hurts farmers

Kothagudem: Even though the State government has given them input subsidy under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, the farmers are still struggling due to increased input cost. They are extremely unhappy due to high rates of urea and other fertilizers this year.

According to farmers though the government gave them input subsidy, it also hiked the rates of fertilizers. Grabbing the opportunity, the shop owners are selling fertilizers above the maximum retail price (MRP).     

The district has 1.07 lakh farmers who are tilling 1.25 lakh acres. This season, farmers had used 400 tones complex fertilizers for their crops. According to them, the increased rates of fertilizers have hit them hard as it raised their total input cost.

 A 50-kg bag of complex fertilizers Di- Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), which could be had for Rs 1,081 last year, this year its rate is hiked by Rs 249 and the same DAP bag comes by at Rs 1,330.  Similarly, other fertilizer Super-Phosphate which was sold for Rs 390 last year, this year its rate is Rs420; Potash’s old rate was Rs 575, now it is Rs 700. 

The rate of urea has not increased very much as compared to other fertilizers but it is causing them much as farmers use urea in large quantity. So the retailers hiked the rates and are selling above MRP. The retailers hiked the rates on each bag of urea by Rs25-30.   

Complaining that shopkeepers are selling fertilizers at high price, a farmer Balya, appealed to the officers to prevent the sellers from selling urea at high price in the district. Besides fertilizer, labour and seeds costs have also went up this year which increased the overall input cost for the farmers. 

Another farmer M Venkateswarlu also demanded action against the shop owners for selling fertilizers at high rates. He said after the cultivation of crops they do not know how much input cost had been and how much they would get after selling their produce. 

When asked, District Agriculture Officer Abhmanyudu assured of taking action against the shop owners who are selling fertilizers at above MRP in the district.  He said, “surprise inspections will be conducted on the shops in the district and actions will be taken against the retailers.”

He asked farmers to lodge complaint with his office when they come across such issues. The officers will take action against the seed and fertilizer sellers immediately.