The halt of fertiliser subsidies in 2014 by the state government, though made with the best of intentions, spurred the creation of a thriving black market.
Meghalaya has reintroduced the subsidies, giving farmers’ relief of 50 per cent of the cost of urea. It was also decided recently to extend the aid to cover 25 per cent of the cost of single super phosphate (SSP), muriate of potash (MOP) and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP).
Fertiliser subsidies were ended in 2014 under the last Congress Party-led government to encourage Meghalaya to go organic and reduce the effect of chemical fertilisers on human life and the environment.
A state government press release today admitted that the fertilisers have “hazardous” effects but that even after the end of the subsidies, certain farmers continued to buy them, especially for high productivity crops like tomatoes, cabbages, potatoes and cauliflowers.
“The stoppage of the previous fertiliser subsidy meant a strong black market for fertilisers, resulting in very high prices being charged to the farmers of the state,” the press release stated. “With the intention to boost the production of foodgrains and other crops in the state and ensure sustained livelihood through increased crop productivity, the state government extended a subsidy of 50 percent for urea in January 2023.”
The subsidy aims to achieve a balance between the use of chemical fertilisers to support crop productivity as well as to adhere to the Meghalaya government’s continued aim to transition to organic farming.
