Why fertilisers have emerged as a big enemy of farmers in Andhra Pradesh

They play a vital role in boosting crop yields, but fertilisers have also turned into the greatest foe of farmers in agrarian Andhra Pradesh, causing monetary and health distress.

Forced to use chemical fertilisers in large quantities to ensure better output, farmers say this has triggered several challenges – rising debts, health crises, financial stress leading to suicides, and poor soil fertility.

In a nutshell, instead of improving their lifestyle, fertilisers, and the hunger for better-quality crops and richer profits, have ended up causing widespread distress.

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Long-term impact

Farmers admit that chemical fertilisers, over years, reduce soil fertility. The overuse of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potash kills essential microorganisms in the soil, eventually lowering productivity.

In districts like Krishna, Guntur, East Godavari, West Godavari, Prakasam, Chittoor and Visakhapatnam, chemical fertiliser use exceeds the national average (90 kg/hectare), reaching up to 138 kg/hectare.

This is due to the predominance of high-yield crops like paddy, sugarcane and cotton, which require more nutrients. In areas along the rivers Godavari and Krishna, multiple cropping through the year necessitates higher fertiliser input.

Fertiliser and pesticide dealers also encourage farmers to increase usage, benefiting their own profits. A lack of awareness about balanced fertilisation is another key issue.

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Excessive usage, and debt

Government data shows that in 2023-24, fertiliser usage in Andhra Pradesh was 82 per cent more than the national average. The average use of chemical fertiliser per acre was 102 kg in Andhra Pradesh, against 56 kg across India.

Usage is especially high in Guntur and Palnadu districts, ranging from 214 to 346 per cent above the average.

Subsidies from Central and state governments have made fertilisers more accessible. Global price hikes have led to increased domestic production and consumption. All this has boosted fertiliser use.

Despite the subsidies, though, increasing dependence on chemical fertilisers has pushed many farmers into debt. Rising costs of fertilisers and pesticides, coupled with less than expected yields, have affected incomes.

This financial strain is driving mental stress and suicides among farmers in Andhra Pradesh — a reflection of the failure of chemical farming models.

Driven to suicide

Due to high fertiliser costs, many farmers are forced to take loans. When they cannot repay, some are driven to suicide.

According to 2022 data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 917 farmers died by suicide in Andhra Pradesh, with debt cited as the primary reason.

The number of suicides reportedly dropped by 16 per cent in 2023. Although data for 2024-25 is pending, estimates suggest that close to 1,000 farmers may have died due to continued financial stress.

Unofficial sources — including media and NGOs — cite higher figures, as suicides by labourers or tenant farmers are excluded from official data. Unofficial estimates for 2024-25 suggest 1,200 farmer suicides.

The Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham reported that 130 tenant farmers have died so far this year alone.

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Natural farming

Although 10 lakh farmers across 12.15 lakh acres are practising natural farming in Andhra Pradesh, the question remains why chemical fertilisers are used so much in the state.

In August 2024, the government allocated 22.3 lakh tonnes of fertilisers for the Rabi season in Andhra Pradesh — a majority of which are chemical varieties like urea, DAP and NPK. Data shows that farmers used about 20-22 lakh tonnes of chemical fertilisers in 2023-24.

Despite government efforts, farmers are not keen on embracing the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming scheme.

This is due to a lack of proper information, delayed returns compared to chemical farming, and resistance from traditional farmers and fertiliser dealers in villages. Furthermore, the absence of reliable markets and fair prices for organic produce discourages adoption.

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Health issues

Chemical fertilisers also contribute to water and air pollution, leading to health problems like respiratory diseases and cancer among farmers and their families.

Fertiliser residues in crops are affecting quality and reducing market prices too.

The farmers also battle lack of fair prices for harvested crops, inadequate storage and marketing facilities, missing compensation for pest-affected crops and poor compensation mechanisms after natural calamities.

Fake seeds

An estimated 16 lakh tenant farmers in Andhra Pradesh do not receive official recognition due to the absence of formal agreements.

Besides rising seed costs, some traders deceive farmers with fake seeds, causing huge losses. Pesticide regulation is lax, and during pest outbreaks, hoarding and black-marketing lead to inflated prices. Agricultural officers are also often deemed to be unresponsive.

There’s no market for paddy straw, which used to be bought for cattle feed. Mechanised harvesting has rendered it unusable.

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Government support

Farmers growing cotton and chilli are incurring heavy losses. Though hybrid seeds are promoted to increase food production, there is no support for farmers in securing remunerative prices.

According to farmer organisations, 1.2 crore people in Andhra Pradesh are engaged in agriculture, including 16.5 lakh farming temple lands on lease.

The Andhra Pradesh and Union governments acknowledge the issues related to debt, crop failure and financial stress as key causes of farmer suicides. They claim to be implementing schemes like loan waivers and PM-KISAN.

Andhra Pradesh aims to fully implement the Zero Budget Natural Farming to reduce chemical fertiliser use. Subsidies on fertilisers, seeds and electricity will be continued. Whether this will address the issue in the coming years is left to be seen.

(Suicides can be prevented. For help, please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)