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Chennai, Oct 22 (IANS) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr S Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take immediate steps to resolve the ongoing fertilizer shortage that has affected farmers across the state, especially during the northeast monsoon farming season.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Dr Ramdas said that due to favorable monsoon rains and better irrigation facilities, farmers have brought more land under paddy cultivation this year compared to the last season. However, many people are now struggling to get enough fertilizer, causing a crisis in the farming community.
“Taking advantage of the shortage, some traders are allegedly selling fertilizers at inflated prices,” he said, calling for strict action against such practices.
The PMK leader suggested that while addressing the immediate fertilizer shortage, the government should also promote the use of organic and natural fertilizers as a long-term option. He stressed the need to make natural fertilizers easily available to farmers through agricultural development centres.
Dr Ramdas reminded that before the Green Revolution, chemical fertilizer use in India was minimal, and farmers depended mainly on natural nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for crop growth.
“Pressure for higher yields, dissemination of high-yielding rice and wheat seeds, expansion of irrigation facilities and fertilizer subsidies led to widespread adoption of chemical fertilizers,” he said.
Highlighting the environmental hazards of excessive use of urea, Dr. Ramdas said that the nitrogen present in urea evaporates into the atmosphere, affecting soil fertility, contaminating groundwater and destroying beneficial microorganisms.
“Nitrous oxide, released from nitrogen compounds, is 300 times more harmful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas,” he warned.
India is the second largest consumer of urea in the world, and Tamil Nadu is among the top five fertilizer consuming states. He said that due to increase in paddy area the demand for fertilizer has increased rapidly.
Dr Ramdas urged the Agriculture Department to create public awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of a millet-based diet compared to rice-heavy food habits.
He also recommended providing subsidies and assistance to farmers doing organic farming of millets, pulses and oilseeds.
“By promoting green manure, compost and bio-fertilizers, we can reduce dependence on urea and ensure sustainable soil health,” he said. He said both the Central and State governments should encourage natural farming and ensure continuous availability of organic fertilizers to safeguard the future of Tamil Nadu’s agriculture.
–IANS
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