Subsidy harms soil, food chain

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.

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. Scientists and environmental activists say that subsidies given to farmers for agriculture has degenerated the quality of soil and poisoned the food chain due to overuse of fertilisers and pesticides.

Agricultural experts in the city said selective and unscientific overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides was the issue, rather than their chemical construct.

“Management of fertilisers is crucial, as the practice since the Green Revolution has been to excessively use urea and diammonium phosphates. While these two are crucial to the environment, the soil needs to be supplemented with 14 other micronutrients,” says Dr Girish Chander of Icrisat.

Straight fertilisers, as they are called, can lead to filling the soil with a specific element and this can result in reducing the vitality and cultivation capacity of the soil.

“There is a major knowledge gap that makes farmers use just these fertilisers. Since they are subsidised, procuring and using it in large quantities is easy,” said Dr Chourat Sudhakar, principal scientist, agriculture research station, Tandaur.

Pesticides tend to get over-used and leave a residue on the crop, which enters the food chain. “When pesticides are sprayed, only 5 to 10 per cent goes to the plants. The rest goes into the air, soil or water and pollutes the environment. It is extremely important that only the directed dosage is used,” said Dr Anitha V., principal scientist and head of the All India Network on Pesticide Residue.

Agriculturalists and scientists maintain that these chemicals must not be seen as a curse.

“It’s a tool which can be used either way, and if used judiciously can be of great use,” Dr Anitha V. added.