The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Karur hit by shortage of super phosphate

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Sunday, Mar 02, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Karur hit by shortage of super phosphate

L. Renganathan

KARUR: Farmers in the region have complained of acute shortage of super phosphate, an important fertilizer required for basal applications, in the current planting season for sugarcane and banana. Super phosphate helps loosen the soil underneath the crop and facilitates root penetration.

“Problems persist in super phosphate availability. While there was inadequate availability over the last six months, the severity intensified in the last two months. And with the current planting (Thai and Masi Pattam) season for banana and sugarcane picking up in Karur and Tiruchi districts, the demand for super phosphate has gone up considerably but we don’t get it in the fertilizer shops,” says Farmers’ Discussion Group convener Kulithalai A.V. Gopaladesikan. The fertilizer sold at Rs.3,480 per tonne when it was available in the market.

Enquiries showed that the responsibility for releasing subsidy for super phosphate vested with the Centre till some years ago. But in the recent years it came under the State government’s purview, forcing rates to vary with the States. The present subsidy level in Tamil Nadu works out to Rs.1,300 per tonne.

Price increase

Problems in supply arose because of the sharp increase in the price of sulphuric acid, an important ingredient in the fertilizer, in the international market some months ago. Consequently, that pushed up the price of super phosphate. The subsidy level too had to be revised upwards and since the State government was not in a position to release the revised quantum, leading super phosphate manufacturers have stopped manufacture of the fertilizer.

“Of course, we can substitute di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) for super phosphate but that can be only for second and subsequent applications. For the first basal application at the time of planting, only super phosphate is required. That is where the problem has cropped up as banana and sugarcane crop planting has picked up, Mr. Gopaladesikan says.

Finding themselves in a tight situation, farmers have urged the Centre to take up the responsibility of releasing subsidy for the fertilizer.

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