Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
Imbalanced application of fertilizers is a major fiscal and environmental problem in South Asia. We review fertilizer policies and extension efforts to promote the balanced application of nutrients in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and draw 4 important lessons. (1) Fertilizer sector reforms need to be fiscally sustainable and politically feasible. Governments in South Asia have abolished fertilizer subsidies on multiple occasions, only to restore them a few years later. (2) The use of phosphate and potash did not decline much even after a sharp increase in their prices in India in 2011–12. Therefore, rationalizing subsidies, while necessary, may not be sufficient to ensure balanced use of fertilizers. Changing farmers' practice requires combining the right incentives with the right information. (3) Soil test based soil health cards (SHC) hold promise, but there is limited evidence on their utility. India's SHC program had very little impact on fertilizer use. (4) Direct cash transfer (DCT) of fertilizer subsidies can reduce distortions, but Sri Lanka's experience shows that implementing it is more challenging than universal subsidies. DCT requires the removal of price controls, integration of land records farmer identity cards, a cash transfer system with universal coverage, and a competitive fertilizer retail sector.
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Format: | Article biblioteca |
Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021
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Subjects: | AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, Soil Health Cards, Balanced Nutrient Management, Fertilizer Policy, FERTILIZERS, SUBSIDIES, SOIL, NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, POLICIES, ORGANIC FERTILIZERS, BIOFERTILIZERS, |
Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10883/21061 |
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dig-cimmyt-10883-210612021-02-09T18:25:16Z Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Kishore, A. Alvi, M. Krupnik, T.J. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Soil Health Cards Balanced Nutrient Management Fertilizer Policy FERTILIZERS SUBSIDIES SOIL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES ORGANIC FERTILIZERS BIOFERTILIZERS Imbalanced application of fertilizers is a major fiscal and environmental problem in South Asia. We review fertilizer policies and extension efforts to promote the balanced application of nutrients in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and draw 4 important lessons. (1) Fertilizer sector reforms need to be fiscally sustainable and politically feasible. Governments in South Asia have abolished fertilizer subsidies on multiple occasions, only to restore them a few years later. (2) The use of phosphate and potash did not decline much even after a sharp increase in their prices in India in 2011–12. Therefore, rationalizing subsidies, while necessary, may not be sufficient to ensure balanced use of fertilizers. Changing farmers' practice requires combining the right incentives with the right information. (3) Soil test based soil health cards (SHC) hold promise, but there is limited evidence on their utility. India's SHC program had very little impact on fertilizer use. (4) Direct cash transfer (DCT) of fertilizer subsidies can reduce distortions, but Sri Lanka's experience shows that implementing it is more challenging than universal subsidies. DCT requires the removal of price controls, integration of land records farmer identity cards, a cash transfer system with universal coverage, and a competitive fertilizer retail sector. 2020-12-10T01:25:16Z 2020-12-10T01:25:16Z 2021 Article Published Version https://hdl.handle.net/10883/21061 10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100464 English CIMMYT manages Intellectual Assets as International Public Goods. The user is free to download, print, store and share this work. In case you want to translate or create any other derivative work and share or distribute such translation/derivative work, please contact CIMMYT-Knowledge-Center@cgiar.org indicating the work you want to use and the kind of use you intend; CIMMYT will contact you with the suitable license for that purpose Open Access Bangladesh India Nepal Sri Lanka Amsterdam (Netherlands) Elsevier 28 2211-9124 Global Food Security 100464 |
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AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Soil Health Cards Balanced Nutrient Management Fertilizer Policy FERTILIZERS SUBSIDIES SOIL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES ORGANIC FERTILIZERS BIOFERTILIZERS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Soil Health Cards Balanced Nutrient Management Fertilizer Policy FERTILIZERS SUBSIDIES SOIL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES ORGANIC FERTILIZERS BIOFERTILIZERS |
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AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Soil Health Cards Balanced Nutrient Management Fertilizer Policy FERTILIZERS SUBSIDIES SOIL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES ORGANIC FERTILIZERS BIOFERTILIZERS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Soil Health Cards Balanced Nutrient Management Fertilizer Policy FERTILIZERS SUBSIDIES SOIL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES ORGANIC FERTILIZERS BIOFERTILIZERS Kishore, A. Alvi, M. Krupnik, T.J. Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka |
description |
Imbalanced application of fertilizers is a major fiscal and environmental problem in South Asia. We review fertilizer policies and extension efforts to promote the balanced application of nutrients in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and draw 4 important lessons. (1) Fertilizer sector reforms need to be fiscally sustainable and politically feasible. Governments in South Asia have abolished fertilizer subsidies on multiple occasions, only to restore them a few years later. (2) The use of phosphate and potash did not decline much even after a sharp increase in their prices in India in 2011–12. Therefore, rationalizing subsidies, while necessary, may not be sufficient to ensure balanced use of fertilizers. Changing farmers' practice requires combining the right incentives with the right information. (3) Soil test based soil health cards (SHC) hold promise, but there is limited evidence on their utility. India's SHC program had very little impact on fertilizer use. (4) Direct cash transfer (DCT) of fertilizer subsidies can reduce distortions, but Sri Lanka's experience shows that implementing it is more challenging than universal subsidies. DCT requires the removal of price controls, integration of land records farmer identity cards, a cash transfer system with universal coverage, and a competitive fertilizer retail sector. |
format |
Article |
topic_facet |
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Soil Health Cards Balanced Nutrient Management Fertilizer Policy FERTILIZERS SUBSIDIES SOIL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES ORGANIC FERTILIZERS BIOFERTILIZERS |
author |
Kishore, A. Alvi, M. Krupnik, T.J. |
author_facet |
Kishore, A. Alvi, M. Krupnik, T.J. |
author_sort |
Kishore, A. |
title |
Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka |
title_short |
Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka |
title_full |
Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka |
title_fullStr |
Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka |
title_full_unstemmed |
Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka |
title_sort |
development of balanced nutrient management innovations in south asia: perspectives from bangladesh, india, nepal, and sri lanka |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10883/21061 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT kishorea developmentofbalancednutrientmanagementinnovationsinsouthasiaperspectivesfrombangladeshindianepalandsrilanka AT alvim developmentofbalancednutrientmanagementinnovationsinsouthasiaperspectivesfrombangladeshindianepalandsrilanka AT krupniktj developmentofbalancednutrientmanagementinnovationsinsouthasiaperspectivesfrombangladeshindianepalandsrilanka |
_version_ |
1756086935558815744 |