LAHORE: Farmers should decide how much fertiliser to use on the basis of soil tests rather than habit, the Markazi Kisan League (MKL) said, as Punjab’s growers head into the wheat sowing season facing high input costs.
MKL Secretary General Dr Rizwan Mahmood said balanced and judicious use of fertiliser was essential for food security and higher yields. The type and quantity should follow soil test results and the advice of agricultural experts, he said, since a balanced approach preserves soil fertility.
Overuse or lopsided use raises production costs and can damage soil health, he said, urging farmers to match fertiliser to the needs of each crop and field.
Mahmood called on the government to bring down and stabilise fertiliser prices and to ensure the inputs are available on time. Access to advisory services and farm inputs at reasonable prices was crucial to national food security, he said.
Prices remain a sore point. Engro Fertilizers said in August that it did not plan to cut urea prices, while higher global sulphur costs had pushed up the price of DAP, the main phosphate fertiliser.
Agronomists have long warned that Pakistani farmers lean heavily on urea and skimp on phosphate and potash, a pattern that limits yields. Mahmood said cutting production costs and promoting modern practices would strengthen agriculture and help secure the country’s food supply.
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