Meghalaya’s hopes for its agriculture sector going totally organic have been less than successful, with the state’s farmers seeing a drop in 50 per cent in terms of produce since 2014.
This was stated by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today when he also announced that the state government would lift restrictions on the use of artificial fertilisers and give farmers a 50 per cent discount on the cost of these.
It was under the previous Congress Party-led government (of which Tynsong was also a member) that the policy of promoting organic farming was introduced. The government of the day stated boldly that it wanted to emulate Sikkim, that Meghalaya’s farms were traditionally organic and that the switch would generate greater incomes for farm produce. As such, subsidies for artificial fertilisers were removed.
However, agricultural organisations have complained about this, saying that organic farming has not led to many benefits while non-subsidised fertiliser was prohibitively expensive for ordinary farmers.
In May, Agriculture Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh had assured farmers that the government would resume subsidising fertiliser.
Today, Tynsong had met the East Khasi Hills Farmers Association and apprised them that the Agriculture Department had earlier this month lifted restrictions on artificial fertiliser.
“The Agriculture Department carried out a census and found out that without the use of fertilisers, production dropped by 50 per cent,” Tynsong said, adding that the state will approach the central government for supply of fertilisers.
However, Tynsong said that the government is still urging farmers to find ways to avoid or reduce the use of artificial fertilisers, though it has agreed to their use and to provide a subsidy to get agriculturists out of a tight spot.
According to officials in the Agriculture Department, fertilisers will be made available at statutorily fixed prices as determined by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers in a controlled quantity to farmers.
Officials said that the intention of the department to make fertilisers available again was to ensure higher productivity of crops like potato, tomato, cabbage and cauliflower that are extensively cultivated in the State.
MECOFED has been entrusted to lift the State’s quota of fertilisers from the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) for supply to the farmers at statutorily fixed prices.
It may be mentioned that the Agriculture Department had in June 2014 discontinued a fertiliser subsidy scheme for farmers. Further, farmers were encouraged to shift to organic farming.
This was aimed at reducing the hazardous effect of chemical fertilisers on human lives, soil and water.
However, despite the stoppage of fertiliser subsidy, many farmers continued to use chemical fertilisers like Urea, DAP, MOP and SSP by procuring them from black market at exorbitant prices.
