High subsidy again skews fertiliser ratio in the kharif season 2023

Fertiliser subsidies account for 47 per cent of total govt subsidies for FY24

As the world celebrated International Soil Day on Tuesday, heavy subsidies and imbalanced use of fertilisers in India ensured the country’s nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) ratio of agriculture soil remained abnormally high at 10.9:4.9:1 in the just-concluded Kharif sowing season, according to data shared by the Fertilizer Association of India (FAI).

The desirable NPK ratio is 4:2:1. The imbalance in the ratio causes problems such as stagnating, soil sickness, widespread deficiency of secondary nutrients and micronutrients, and soil alkalinity and salinity. Eventually, it results in reduced efficiency of fertilisers, low yields and low profitability for farmers. 

The near-ideal NPK