State Govt stops supply of fertilizers, pesticides
SHILLONG: With a plan to go for organic farming, the State Government has suddenly stopped supplying fertilizers and pesticides, affecting a large section of farmers, who were caught unawares with this sudden decision.
The move has also compelled the farmers to buy fertilizers at exorbitant rates.
Irked over the stand of the Government, the BJYM (BJP youth wing) has opposed the sudden decision of the Meghalaya government to discontinue supplying fertilizers and pesticides to the farmers of the State.
“As the government is imposing restriction without any prior notification or intimation to the farmers of the State, this has affected many existing farmers,” BJYM president Egenstar Kurkalang said in a statement issued here on Sunday.
Quoting the complaints of the farmers, the BJYM leader said, “It seems that the Government wants to implement its plan by force since there was no consultation with the farmers or with any farmers’ organization.”
According to BJYM, Meghalaya stopped to make allotment order of fertilizers and pesticides from the companies resulting in uncertainty on the part of farmers.
When the farmers approached the wholesaler at Iewduh and MECOFED, they were informed that the Meghalaya Government had issued a notification to discontinue the allotment order for fertilizers and pesticides as these will be replaced by organic manure.
Two companies – Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation (BVFCL) and Indian Farmers’ Fertilizer Cooperative Society (IFFCO) – which have stopped supplying fertilizers and pesticides to Meghalaya after the Government did not make an allotment order and also the Department of Agriculture stopped giving lifting order to the wholesaler and dealers.
According to BJYM, it was found that there are dealers who take advantage of order of the Government and sell urea to the farmers at higher price of Rs.1100 per quintal instead of Rs.700 which is the normal rate, and this has brought undue hardships to the farmers.
The farmers also informed BJYM that they had approached the officers of Agriculture Department and the Director of Agriculture for clarification and also to request the Government to give an opportunity of choosing between organic manure and fertilizers, but no response or positive answer to their request was forthcoming.
The BJYM termed the stand of the Meghalaya Government as dictatorial and said that it infringed upon the rights of the farmers.
“The Government should have given enough time for the farmers for the transition and a policy should have been framed in a proper manner,” BJYM said. According to BJYM, by hurriedly deciding a policy, the Government has brought sufferings to the farmers as it affected their livelihood and food security.
The BJYM has decided to follow up the matter so that the Government would reconsider its decision which will ensure protection to the rights of farmers.