"The fertiliser products like Muret of Potash (MOP), Diammonium phosphate (DAP), Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) have become costly after the Centre de-controlled its prices with effect from April 1, 2010," Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.
The Centre should continue with subsidy on MOP, DAP and NPK to bring down the prices of these fertiliser products to reduce the burden on the farmers, he said.
The continuation of subsidy on these fertiliser products will also decrease rampant use of urea as the farmers had taken to use of this farm supplement in view of rising cost of MOP, DAP and NPK since price de-control, Modi said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that price of DAP per bag of 50 kg has gone up to Rs 1260 this year from Rs 486 in 2009, while the cost of MOP of similar weight has increased to Rs 881 as against Rs 230 in 2009 and same was the case for NPK.
On agriculture growth rate under the 11th five-year-plan recording only two per cent against the target of four per cent, Modi said that it could be attributed to increase in the fertiliser price and increased agriculture input cost.
If the agriculture growth rate has to be sustained then the input cost should also be increased, he said.
