Tadepalli, June 26: YSRCP has demanded that fertilizers be supplied to farmers on time and in an easy manner, stating that the app is not user-friendly. The party also sought government support for tobacco and Totapuri mango farmers in securing remunerative prices for their produce.
Speaking to the media here on Friday, Party General Secretary M.V.S. Nagi Reddy said that supplying fertilizers through an app is not practical, as farmers in villages and remote areas are not well versed in technology. Even in urban areas, network connectivity issues create difficulties.
The issue becomes more complicated for tenant farmers, as the OTP is sent to the landowner's registered mobile number. Contacting landowners who live far away from the fertilizer distribution centres is often impractical. Many landowners refuse to answer calls as it disrupts their work, forcing tenant farmers to risk losing access to the leased land.
Promoting organic farming may sound good, but in reality, paddy and maize cultivation requires chemical fertilizers, and farmers continue to depend on them. The higher cost of organic farming is not reimbursed in many cases, despite government announcements. If the government's data claims that 18 lakh acres are under organic farming, why has there been no corresponding decline in fertilizer consumption, he questioned.
The app developed for fertilizer distribution is not user-friendly, and most farmers are not familiar with its use. Introducing a technology-based system for fertilizer distribution during the crucial sowing season has only created additional hardship for farmers, he said.
With paddy and maize being the major crops during the current Kharif season, the supply of DAP is inadequate. DAP is the primary fertilizer required during the initial stage of cultivation, and any shortage at this stage directly affects crop growth.
Liquor is freely available across the state, but farmers are struggling to procure fertilizers, even though they are meant solely for agricultural purposes, he remarked.
He demanded that fertilizers be supplied to farmers on demand without any restrictions or conditions, warning that unnecessary regulations would reduce food grain production and adversely affect the state's economy.
The government should also come to the rescue of tobacco and Totapuri mango farmers by ensuring they receive remunerative prices, as traders are not paying the prices announced by the government, he added.
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