Increasing prices and lack of availability of fertilizers are worrying paddy farmers in the district, especially as there is a delay for the farmers in getting the price of the paddy procured from them.
The shortage of urea caused much worries to the farmers for about a month in many parts of the district. Some farmers alleged that the shortage was an artificially created one by a lobby pushing the use of nano-urea. Some cooperative bodies involved in the distribution of fertilizers have been blamed for insisting on unrealistic conditions.
According to National Farmers Protection Committee (NFPC) general secretary Pandiyode Prabhakaran, making the fertilizers available to the farmers in time is the government’s responsibility. “Like quality seed, plenty of water and a good price, the timely application of fertilizers is vital for a paddy farmer. Just one day’s delay in the application of fertilizers can affect the growth and quality of paddy,” said Mr. Prabhakaran.
Although urea, potash and complex fertilizer like Factamfos are the key fertilizers used by paddy farmers, the unavailability of urea caused them worries for about a month. Urea is applied two times for paddy. When urea alone is used in the second phase, urea is used along with potash in the third phase.
Farmers said they were witnessing a gradual increase in the prices of fertilizers. “Each season is witnessing about 5 to 10% increase in the prices of fertilizers. The paddy’s procurement price has been stagnant for the last few years, but the fertilizer price has been going up,” said Mr. Prabhakaran.
Rashtriya Kisan Maha Sangh (RKMS) State vice-chairman Muthalmthodu Mani said the government should make positive interventions to help the farmers. Mr. Mani and team are organsing a Kisan maha panchayat at Kuzhalmannam on December 20 to press the government to implement its promises made to the farmers. A dozen odd farmer leaders from the northern States are expected to attend the maha panchayat.
Apart from the fertilizers, shortage of water in the dams in Palakkad is also worrying the farmers. Most dams, including Malampuzha, have water for hardly one month’s irrigation. This apart, the leakage of water from the Malampuzha dam too has raised concerns.
Farmers staged a protest at Malampuzha last week demanding immediate plugging of the leak. Irrigation department officials have promised to plug the leak by the end of December.
Mr. Prabhakaran blamed the engineers of Irrigation department for their failure to stop the leak. “Malampuzha dam used to cater to 25,000 hectares. Now with hardly 15,000 hectares of paddy, there is a severe shortage of water. Where does the water go,” he asked.
