Union Budget 2011: Govt should have diverted 50% of subsidy to ecological fertilizers, says Umendra Dutt

AHMEDABAD: Organic farming NGO Kheti Virasat Mission, director, Umendra Dutt said, "It is good that the government admitted need of organic farming. But after viewing budgetary provisions it seems that government is more keen in lip service rather then making some concrete systems and appropriate allocations.

Government should have diverted at least 50% of fertilizer subsidy to ecological fertilizers. Farmers doing organic farming should have got Rs 5000 at least per acre of ecological farming, per annum. This is based on the rationale that chemical fertilizer subsidy is equivalent to Rs 5000 per hectare over the net cropped area of the country whereas this would be higher if taken on a per acre basis for the actual cropped land using such chemical fertilizers.

This proposal is arguing for at least an equivalent of this amount to rainfed organic farmers. This would mean a budgetary implication of Rs 3125 crore for the current certified organic acreage in the country (2.5 mn hectares)."