Telangana: Selective subsidy may hit farmers

Hyderabad: Governments across the world are trying to green their agricultural practices and make it less hazardous. The UK government recently decided to provide subsidies only to farmers who “earn it” by proving their commitment to the environment.

This comes in the backdrop of concerns that subsidies on agricultural inputs like fertilisers and pesticides can affect the soil and the food chain.

Indian agricultural scientists believe that while greening of subsidies is important, a selective giving out of subsidies may impact farmers, especially in a country like India.

“Input costs have been increasing while the minimum support prices have remained stagnant, so taking out subsidies on the inputs like fertilisers and pesticides or putting checks may not be practical for our country where the average holding of farmers is 1 hectare which would fetch not much,” said a soil scientist.

Other scientists say that India’s rates of fertiliser application are very low when compared to other nations like the US. 

“Many farmers in India use less than the national average, so our practices are relatively more environment friendly,” said Dr Harish Kumar Sharma.

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According to the Fertiliser Association of India, India’s per hectare usage of fertilisers is lower than in Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.

But greener variants could be the way ahead. Scientists say the government must start the switch-over to organic inputs and incentivise farmers to use them for higher and sustainable yields.

These greener subsidies could help increase the yield that could in turn absorb more carbon from the air. “The soil in Telangana state is devoid of carbon and is degraded because of the same. If farmers use subsidies scientifically and do scientific farming practices then the carbon sequestration would take place, which is basically the roots taking in carbon and adding it to the soil,” said Dr Chander.