SHIMLA: Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS) has slammed the state government and its agencies-HIMFED, HPMC- for their  failure to   provide  good quality fertilisers to apple farmers and strongly condemned the indifferent attitude of the government towards the farmers.

According to KSS coordinator Sanjay Chauhan,   the farmers especially apple growers are in dire need of fertilizers these days, but the government is not providing any fertilizers as per their requirement. “The farmers are forced to take expensive and low quality fertilizers from the open market”, charged Chauhan.

There has been a huge increase in the prices of fertilizers due to the discontinuation of subsidy on fertilizers by the Central and State Governments, KSS said. “Last year, a 25 kg bag of calcium nitrate, which was getting 1100 ₹ to 1250 ₹, is now getting 1300 ₹ to 1750 ₹. A 50 kg bag of potash, which was available for ₹ 1150 last year, is now being priced at ₹ 1750. NPK 12:32:16 The price of which was 1200 ₹ last year has also been increased to 1750, despite this neither potash fertilizer is available nor NPK 12:32:16 is available”, Chahan said.

On the contrary, the government is cutting aid and subsidies in agriculture and horticulture sector, which has created a crisis of agriculture in the state, KSS said. “If the government does not immediately provide fertilizers to the farmers at a reasonable price as per the demand, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti will mobilize the farmers and fight against these anti-farmers  policies and attitude of the government, Chauhan warned.  

After the good snowfall in January and February, the apple growers have to apply fertilizers in farms on priority. “But today the government is not providing the fertilizers which are needed and the prices of fertilizers in the open market have been increased drastically as compared to last year”, Chauhan said.

The farmers need to apply potash in the orchards, NPK 12:32:16, NPK 15:15:15, but these fertilizers are not available anywhere and now the growers are forced to buy low quality fertilizers from the open market, KCC said.  These lowquality fertilisers are not approved by the Department of Horticulture, Chauhan said.

Because of shortage of good quality fertilisers, the farmers face bleak prospectus of crops as the poor quality of fertilisers will reduce the production and productivity of apples in future, Chauhan said.  Due to this crisis of horticulture will deepen and the farmers economy will be shattered, he said.

Till date, fertilizers have been provided by the government in the state through HIMFED. But due to the poor system of the government, orders for necessary fertilizers were not given by HIMFED in time, due to which the crisis of fertilizers has arisen today, he said.

He said HPMC is forcibly providing fertilizers and other items in lieu of the dues from fruit procured under the Market Intervention Scheme(MIS). “The agencies are selling these items are at higher prices than the market. The government should immediately stop this and make cash payment of the arrears of the gardeners”, Chauhan demanded.