Awareness to be Created Among Farmers to Reduce Chemical Fertiliser Usage by 11%:  Dilli Rao

Awareness to be Created Among Farmers to Reduce Chemical Fertiliser Usage by 11%

*Director of Agriculture  Dilli Rao, IAS, unveiled a poster and wall chart at the Directorate of Agriculture on 17th July 2025 (Thursday) to promote alternatives to chemical fertilisers and raise awareness among farmers about their benefits.

Speaking on the occasion, Dilli Rao stated that the state currently uses 36.5 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers annually. The Hon’ble Chief Minister has directed that usage be reduced by 4 lakh metric tonnes—an 11% reduction, bringing it down to 32.5 lakh metric tonnes.

To achieve this goal, the Department of Agriculture has prepared an action plan that includes partially replacing chemical fertilisers with organic farming practices under the theme Back to the Roots.

The department aims to:
* Replace 1 lakh metric tonnes through Natural Farming methods,

* Reduce 1.5 lakh metric tonnes via the application of various organic fertilisers like vermicompost, farmyard manure, and green manure,

* Promote the use of bio-fertilisers like Nitrobacteria, Phospho-bacteria, Neem cake, and new-generation nano fertilisers such as Nano Urea and Nano DAP.

*  Dilli Rao emphasised that the indiscriminate use of nitrogen-based fertilisers, particularly urea in paddy and maize, has led to increased pest and disease vulnerability due to weakened crop structure. He noted that balanced fertiliser use is crucial for healthy and resilient crops.

  Awareness campaigns are being intensified through:

)Wall charts,

)Pamphlets,

)Posters,

)Mass outreach under the Polam Pilustondi  program.

The Director noted that although awareness efforts have been ongoing for the past few years, under the Chief Minister’s renewed focus, a scientific and strategic action plan is now being implemented with research-backed inputs to reach farmers directly.

He highlighted the benefits of organic inputs:

Improves soil organic matter,

Enhances soil moisture retention,

Promotes beneficial microbial activity, leading to better availability of enzymes and hormones for plant growth,

Reduces micronutrient deficiencies, and

Improves soil fertility and environmental sustainability.

In conclusion, considering the onset of the Kharif season, the Director instructed all field-level agricultural officers to actively engage farmers and promote the 11% reduction target in chemical fertiliser usage.

Participants:
Additional Director Smt. V.V. Vijayalakshmi, ATMA Director Sri Prasad, Joint Director (Fertilisers) Sri Krupadas, Deputy Director Sri G. Venkateswara Rao,DD Planing Smt Swarna Vijaya  and other officials were present.