YSSRCP MP V Vijayasaireddy has appealed to the Center to support the farmers by increasing the subsidy on fertilizers by the Central Government as the farmers are getting frustrated with the rising fertilizer prices.He told the Rajya Sabha Zero Hour on Tuesday that farmers were suffering severely as fertilizer prices had risen significantly over the past year.
He said that the prices of various fertilizers have gone up by an average of 45 to 60 per cent during the year, which has increased the cost of investment and put a strain on the lives of farmers.Rising fertilizer prices have turned into an intoxication for farmers who are already reeling from a number of problems.
In this context, there are indications that the country is facing further shortage of fertilizers due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, he said, adding that 10 per cent of India’s annual imports of fertilizers come from these two countries.He expressed concern that the rise in petrol and gas prices could lead to a sharp rise in fertilizer prices, which could plunge farmers into a full-blown crisis.
In this year’s budget, the government has reduced the subsidy on fertilizers from Rs 1.40 lakh crore to Rs 1.05 lakh crore, or 30 per cent.He said it would be far-fetched for the government to significantly reduce the subsidy on fertilizers in the budget if fertilizer prices continue to rise year on year.
The government said it was unfortunate to commit such anti-farmer action.He appealed to the central government to immediately increase the subsidy on fertilizers as it is the immediate duty of the government to support the farmers during such a crisis.
