Rationalising prices

Excess use of urea should be contained

The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recently recommended that urea, the fertiliser consumed most, should be brought under the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime, like all other fertilisers. The objective, clearly, is to foster parity in the prices of fertilisers containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and other plant nutrients, to ensure their balanced and need-based application. The unduly low price of urea, vis-a-vis other fertilisers, has resulted in overuse of nitrogen and inadequate application of other equally essential nutrients, including some vital micro and secondary plant nutrients. Soil health, as also its fertility, has consequently been adversely