Farmers and the fertilizer burden

ANTD.VN - Today's agricultural production has applied many advanced technologies, using machines to replace human labor. However, farming is still greatly affected by weather, land, irrigation water, seeds, pests, fertilizers... for plants to grow and develop well. Of which, fertilizer is one of the most important factors and determines productivity and investment costs.

Fertilizers provide the necessary nutrients for plant growth. Using fertilizers properly and at the right time will promote growth and development processes such as: healthy branching, green leaves, promoting flowering and synchronization, high fruit set rate. Fertilizers help roots develop, penetrate deep into the soil, wide root canopy helps limit falling. Increases resistance and resilience of plants.

Besides providing nutrients for plant growth, fertilizers also affect the entire agricultural ecosystem. Fertilizers promote processes such as decomposition and metabolism of substances, increasing the ability to absorb nutrients, breaking down difficult-to-absorb substances into easily absorbed substances, creating favorable conditions for healthy plant growth.

Farmers buy Phu My NPK fertilizer.

During the crop season, if there is a lack of fertilizer in any stage, the plant will not grow or grow slowly. Typical signs of fertilizer deficiency are stunted plants, low branching ability, few branches and leaves, small leaves, yellow leaves, no flowers or few flowers, low fruit set rate, poorly developed root system, susceptible to pests and diseases, poor resistance to adverse factors.

For crops to grow and develop healthily to produce a high yield crop, farmers need to use adequate and appropriate fertilizer for each stage, so that the fertilizer can fully exert its effect.

Because fertilizer is the most important factor for the growth and development of crops, in the total cost of the crop, fertilizer accounts for the highest proportion. This is also a concern for farmers, when the price of fertilizer continuously increases during the growth of the plant, while the price of the finished product after harvest depends on the market.

Sharing about the investment cost for the last crop season, Ms. Vo Lam Que (54 years old), a durian grower in Phuoc An town, Krong Pak district, Dak Lak province, said that to have a durian garden of about 1,500 square meters with regular fruit production, many fruits, and few pests and diseases, the initial cost for fertilizer and pesticides is about 40 million VND, not to mention the cost of irrigation water, care and harvesting.

During a durian harvest cycle, farmers will use many fertilizers, mainly NPK fertilizers for the leaf-growing, flowering, fruit-growing stages... after harvest. This is an important time for the tree to recover, and the cost of fertilizers is quite high. Ms. Que said that fertilizers for durian trees are mostly imported NPK. According to her actual experience, imported fertilizers dissolve quickly, help the tree absorb quickly, the tree gives higher yield and has a lower cost than domestic fertilizers, so people here often choose imported fertilizers.

Ms. Que also said that a difficulty for farmers is that fertilizer prices are constantly increasing, so investment costs are getting higher and higher, while post-harvest prices depend on the market. Apart from taking care of fruit trees to grow well and produce many fruits, farmers cannot take the initiative in any other step, and must depend entirely on the market, so the situation of "good harvest, low price, good price, bad harvest" often occurs.

Farmers buy Phu My NPK fertilizer.

Durian is a high-value agricultural product that brings attractive profits, but farmers are still worried about fertilizer prices. What about rice? Although it is the main food source, the input costs are too high and the selling price is not commensurate with the effort, so there have been many cases of farmers abandoning their fields to change farming models.

The Mekong Delta is the largest rice-producing region in the country, accounting for more than 50% of the country's rice output, about 90% of exported rice output and 70% of fruit output. However, recently, the skyrocketing price of input materials, especially high fertilizer prices, has greatly affected farmers' production. Farmers are almost no longer interested in growing rice. Many rice growers want to abandon their fields because rice production is not profitable, even having to suffer losses.

In the mood to abandon the field to switch to other crops, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, 58 years old, Tan Tuyen commune, Tri Ton district, An Giang province said that he has been attached to rice all his life, but now he is also having difficulties with his own rice. The price of fertilizer is constantly increasing, causing input costs to gradually increase, but when harvesting, the profit received is not worth the effort. Around here, people have changed the farming model to fruit trees and other crops. As for him, because he misses the familiar rice field, he still sticks with rice.

In fact, fertilizer costs account for a large part of the total input costs of a harvest. Farmers can accept to work hard to make a profit, enjoying the fruits of their own and their family's efforts. However, fertilizer is an indispensable source of nutrition for any fruit or crop, so the price of fertilizer is constantly increasing and staying at a high level, making it difficult for farmers. A policy is urgently needed to cool down fertilizer prices, ensure a balance between costs and selling prices, so that farmers can stick with their familiar fields and rice fields and get rich from their own homeland.

Source: https://www.anninhthudo.vn/nong-dan-va-ganh-nang-phan-bon-post593524.antd