Bad planning has led to fertilizer shortage: Prof Swaminathan

Mysore, July 8 (UNI) Renowned Agriculture Scientist Prof M S Swaminathan today said shortage of fertilizers was mainly due to lack of proper planning.

Speaking after inaugurating a Seed Processing unit at Suttur in Mysore district, he said the demand for fertilizers should be drawn up well in advance and there stocks built at least three months before commencement of the season.

He said at present soil has become lifeless and it is better if farming community adopted the organic, natural and green farming which would give more results.

Suggesting that the agriculture system has to follow the green bank, which would help continuation of the age old crop pattern and seed bank, he said farmers should adopt new technologies to produce seeds needed for their cultivation, instead of waiting for the government to supply.

Prof Swaminathan said there was also a necessity for post harvest technology for food security.

He said the IT knowledge should percolate to villages so that farmers would get complete information on agriculture, climate, seeds and fertilizers.

He said that majority of the farmers in the country had only small holdings and were unable to increase their production. But these village knowledge centres would be able to guide them in a proper way to stabilise themselves.

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