The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Kerala State council, the farmers’ wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has demanded that the Union government ensure the availability of pesticides and fertilizers for farmers.Mathew Varghese, State vice-president of the AIKS, stated that there is a massive shortage of urea, Factamfos, NPK, bone meal, and other mixed fertilizers.“The scarcity of pesticides and fertilizers will result in lower production. It will adversely impact the income source of the farming community,” Mr. Varghese said.Mr. Varghese further noted that Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT) was originally set up under the control of the State and Central governments to ensure the availability of fertilisers in the country.“But due to the Central government’s neglect, FACT is not producing fertilisers effectively, and it is affecting general availability,” he added.In the wake of the West Asia crisis, the prices of pesticides and fertilizers have nearly doubled in the country, Mr. Varghese said. “The Central government should investigate whether vendors are attempting to create an artificial scarcity of fertilizers and pesticides under the guise of the war situation in West Asia.”He further demanded that the government intervene to reduce the inflated prices of fertilisers and pesticides to support the farming community. Published - June 06, 2026 07:55 pm IST