High Fertiliser Consumption in Punjab Raises Questions

The average fertiliser consumption in India was nearly 140 kg per hectare in 2023-24, but Punjab's usage reached 247.61 kg per hectare. Union Minister Anupriya Patel clarified in Rajya Sabha that Punjab's fertiliser usage constitutes 9% of the national total. No cancer reports linked to fertiliser use have been recorded.

India's average fertiliser consumption during 2023-24 stood at nearly 140 kg per hectare, while Punjab's usage was significantly higher at 247.61 kg per hectare, the government announced on Tuesday.

Responding to a question in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel stated that while Punjab's fertiliser use makes up 9% of the total fertilisers used nationwide, no cancer cases have been linked to excessive phosphate fertiliser use in the state.

Patel emphasized that there have been no official reports from Punjab highlighting a cancer link with high fertiliser usage, countering public speculation on the health impacts of such practices.