Farmers face severe fertiliser crisis

Thiruvananthapuram: A severe fertiliser shortage is threatening Kerala's plans to push agriculture as a key vehicle to development, the government said on Thursday.

In response to a calling attention motion on the issue, the state's Agriculture Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran said there has been a serious shortage of fertilisers containing phosphates and urea for a month.

Halved production

Ratnakaran said the centre-owned Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd, located in Kochi, has more than halved its production of the factomphos fertiliser because of a phosphate supply crunch.

"While the company was supposed to supply 7,600 tonnes of factomphos for June, it supplied only 3,092 tonnes," he said.

According to him, diammonium phosphates fertiliser supply has also been seriously affected.

"We have so far received only 3,092 tonnes for June, but we need 18,000 tonnes for the kharif season April to September."

There was a similar shortage of urea supply, he added.

Ratnakaran said the shortage of phosphates, which are imported, has caused their price to spiral.

"The centre has to step in and see that it provides subsidy, so that raw materials are available," Ratnakaran said.