Fertilizer Pricing and the Indian Farmer's Income-A Study

The agriculture sector in India has been one of the mainstays of Indian economy, although its contribution to India's GDP has declined over the years. To ensure the food security of over 1.2 billion Indians, the importance of the agriculture sector cannot be ignored. However, the income of the Indian farmer has not been sufficient for sustenance over a long period. Fertilizers have been one of the major spending areas for farmers and the cost of fertilizers has been increasing over the time. This has added to the farmer's miseries. This paper attempts to understand the various indicators associated with Indian agriculture sector, the financial profile of an Indian farmer and the relevance of fertilizer pricing to the farmer's income and overall wellbeing.