Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, SKM

All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, AIKMS

Press Statement

11 February, 2022

 

Reject Zero Budget Natural Farming as a ploy to increase fertilizer prices.

Punish BJP for increasing input costs to help Corporates and MNCs, reducing farmers’ income.

 Condemn government failure to set up MSP Committee, withdraw cases, compensate martyrs, remove and arrest Minister Ajay Teni for Lakhimpur Carnage.

AIKMS has criticized the BJP plan to promote Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) as a ploy to increase fertilizer prices and wind up the fertilizer subsidy. This will ruin small and middle farmers whose crop yield and returns will go down by more than 30%.

AIKMS has called upon all farmers to (electorally) punish BJP for increasing input burden and reducing farmers’ income, though it had promised to double the income by 2022.

As announced in the budget and in the poll campaign by BJP, it plans to allow only natural farming up to 5 kilometers on both sides of 2500 km length along the Ganga rivers. This is to promote biofertilizers which are costlier and less effective on High Yield Variety seeds. This plan will be enforced by the police and will lead to the ruin of crores of peasants along the Ganga belt.

Already, fertilizer costs have doubled and peasants have suffered heavily from black marketing. This year’s budget allocation for the fertilizer subsidy is Rs 1.05 lac cr, as against Rs 1.55 lac cr spent last year. The government is promoting ZBNF to reduce its support to farmers.

Scientists from the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences have clearly stated that there is no proper scientific validation of ZBNF. In fact, Sikkim became India’s first organic state and there was a decline in yields. Many farmers reverted back to conventional farming.

The fertilizer subsidy is calculated on 3 bags of urea, 1 of DAP and a half bag of MOP which is expected to be used per acre. MRP of this comes to Rs 2437 while the subsidy is also Rs 2418 per acre.

While Mr. Modi has stated that small and marginal farmers will benefit most, it is they who will end up giving up farming and losing their land to the local rich. The BJP is fooling the farmers that their input expenditure on fertilizers will come down to Zero in ZBNF.

AIKMS appeals to the farmers’ organizations to oppose ZBNF without financial compensation, to demand a reduction in fertilizer prices and to punish BJP for helping big agro companies and ruining farmers. The government has failed to set up the panel to implement MSP for all crops, withdraw cases, compensate martyrs, reduce raised electricity charges and punish Minister Ajay Misra Teni, an accused in Lakhimpur carnage.

Dr. Ashish Mital, General Secretary, AIKMS, Member Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, SKM

NOTE:

Terms used above:

Lac=100,000

Cr= 100 Lac= 10 Million