BJP, BJD at loggerheads over usage of nano-urea

In a bid to make more harvest by using less amount of fertilizers, Union Cabinet has approved the use of nano-urea. Though the farmers in Odisha are eager to use nano-urea in their farmlands, the State government is not ready to embrace the scheme.

As per the State Agriculture Minister, the use of the new technology will reduce the income of the farmers drastically. Meanwhile, politics has been hit up in the State over the Odisha government’s negative response against the nano-urea usage. Opposition BJP slammed Odisha government by saying that the State government is not accepting the scheme as it will end the corruption during urea distribution among the farmers.

“The farmers in the State are ignorant about the use of nano-urea. They don’t have drone technology till now. It should not be forced upon them without proper training. If it is adopted, the production will be affected and the income of the farmers will decrease drastically. We will accept the new technology gradually,” said Odisha Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain.

Swain also said he will write a letter in this regard to the Centre soon. He further demanded that the Centre should provide the State with its last year's remaining quota amount of 22,500 metric tons of urea immediately.

Taking a dig at the minister, BJP General Secretary Golak Mohapatra asked, “Who has forbidden imparting training to the farmers about the use of nano-urea in the State?”

“As urea is getting available in sacks, corruption is being done easily. However, nano-urea will be available in bottles and there will be no chance of corruption. Hence, the minister has become worried. Odisha government should make it clear whether they want development of farmers or corrupt means to make money,” said Mohapatra.

Then what is actually nano-urea on which the Centre and the State are at loggerheads?

This new product is expected to replace the usage of urea granules and will be available in liquids packed in bottles instead of sacks. The farmers will mix nano-urea in the required amount of water and spray in their farmlands with the help of drones. By using nano-urea, there will be less dependence on chemical fertilizers.

When two sacks of urea fertilizers were required for one acre of land, it will be replaced by 500mg nano-urea and the production will be better. Moreover, the use of nano-urea will be cost-effective as well. When the cost of two sacks of urea is Rs 534, the cost of 500mg nano-urea will be only Rs 240.

Most importantly, the use of nano-urea will reduce soil, water and environmental pollution. There will be a 40 per cent growth in the harvest and the input subsidy amount of thousands of crore of rupees provided by the government will come down due to the replacement.

Farmers in the State have welcomed the new initiative and as per them, they are excited to use nano-urea in their farmlands.

“Nano-urea is a new technology which should be used for better production. It will help the farmers a lot,” said Suresh Nikanti, a farmer from Bargarh.

“Nano-area is a very good scheme. Odisha government should impart training to all the farmers in the State and embrace the Central scheme as soon as possible. Farmers will be benefitted a lot with this modern technology,” said S Sundaram, another farmer from Borigumma.

When nano-urea has so much utility and farmers are eager to use the new technology, the State government’s rigidity against the replacement has raised question marks over its intention.