Agriculture Minister Kanna Laxminarayana on Saturday informed the State Legislative Assembly that prices of fertilizers in the state were increased 12 times since 2010. However, he denied the reports that farmers were unable to purchase the fertilizers due to heavy rise in prices.
Replying to a question raised by TDP MLA Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy and others during Question Hour, the minister also admitted that fertilizer dealers were selling the old stock at new price. To reduce the burden on the farmers, he said that the government was educating the farmers on judicious use of fertilizers. Further, village maps depicting the Nitrozen, Phosphorous, Potassium (NPK) status of the soils is displayed at village panchayat or at a prominent place.
The government is also conducting soil test based fertilizer use to reduce the cost of cultivation, organising Polambadis to show cost reduction practices in different crops and supplying organic inputs such as Vermicompost, Green Manure Seed and Bio-fertilizers at subsidised rates besides encouraging Compost, the minister said. (INN)