This year, registration of fruits for fertilizer purchase has been made mandatory to prevent misuse of fertilizers.

Mysore: : Farmers protested in front of the Agriculture Department office in the city demanding immediate withdrawal of the mandatory Farmer Identification Number (FID) requirement for purchasing fertiliser. The protest was organized by the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association.To prevent misuse of fertilizers, the state government has made registration under Farmer Registration and Integrated Beneficiary Information System (FRUITS) mandatory for all farmers to purchase fertilizers this year.Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj, president of the state unit of the association, alleged that both the state and central governments were steering farmers away from agriculture. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to double the income of farmers by 2026, but instead of increasing the income, the prices of fertilizers have increased rapidly.He said the ongoing conflicts in West Asia have disrupted the import of raw materials needed for fertilizers. Karnataka He warned that about 20 million tonnes of urea is required, but only about 50% of the required stock is currently available, leading to a serious shortage.Bhagyaraj questioned how farmers cultivating land under Bagar Hukum, Inam Land and lease arrangements would access fertilizers if FID was made mandatory. He urged the state government to introduce alternative mechanisms to ensure uninterrupted supply. He also said that although the PM has encouraged organic farming, a complete change cannot happen overnight.The protesters also complained that petrol and diesel for farm machinery were not being easily supplied at fuel stations. He said it is impractical for farmers to bring tractors, tillers, brush cutters and weeding machines directly to petrol pumps for refueling. The association demanded that restrictions be eased and farmers be allowed to buy fuel in cans for agricultural use.