Fertiliser Use in Andhra Pradesh: An Analysis of Factors Affecting Consumption

Owing to the limited possibilities of extending the net cultivated area, the official strategy has been to raise per hectare yields through promoting, inter alia, fertiliser use. The VII five year plan of India has aimed at raising fertiliser consumption to 14 million metric tonnes (mmt) by 1989-90. This would imply an annual growth of 1.12 mmt between 1984-85 and 1989-90. Such high annual increments in consumption were not experienced in the earlier years except for 1984-85. Thus, the question is how to accelerate the fertiliser consumption trend to such high levels of use.