News Analysis India

Tag: Fertilizers

  • Centre okays launch of nano liquid DAP fertilisers, says will benefit farmers

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said the government has approved the launch of nano liquid DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertiliser for the benefit of farmers and making the country self-reliant.

    Fertiliser cooperative IFFCO, which introduced nano liquid urea in 2021, on Friday announced that the government has approved the launch of its nano DAP fertiliser in the market.

    “After nano urea, the government has now given approval to nano DAP as well,” Mandaviya said in a tweet.

    He tweeted that this is one more achievement towards achieving self-sufficiency in fertilisers. This is going to benefit farmers, Mandaviya said.

    On Friday, IFFCO managing director U S Awasthi tweeted that the IFFCO Nano DAP has been approved by the ministry of agriculture and notified in the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO) based on its encouraging results.

    “IFFCO will manufacture #NanoDAP; a game changer for Indian agriculture & economy,” he tweeted.

    In December, Awasthi had said IFFCO would soon launch nano DAP at Rs 600 per 500-ml bottle, a move that will help India save foreign exchange and also reduce government subsidies significantly.

    One bottle will be equivalent to one bag of DAP, which currently costs Rs 1,350.

    IFFCO is also planning to launch nano-potash, nano-zinc and nano-copper fertilisers, he had said.

    In June 2021, IFFCO launched nano urea in liquid form as an alternative to conventional urea.

    It has set up many manufacturing plants in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh to produce nano urea.

    There is no government subsidy on nano urea and it is being sold at Rs 240 per bottle.

    For conventional urea, the government provides a huge subsidy to ensure that the farmers get the soil nutrient at a reasonable price.

    The country’s domestic urea production is around 26 million tonnes, while demand is about 35 million tonnes.

    The gap is met through imports.

    India also imports DAP and MoP (muriate of potash) in huge quantities to meet its domestic demand.

    NEW DELHI: Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said the government has approved the launch of nano liquid DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertiliser for the benefit of farmers and making the country self-reliant.

    Fertiliser cooperative IFFCO, which introduced nano liquid urea in 2021, on Friday announced that the government has approved the launch of its nano DAP fertiliser in the market.

    “After nano urea, the government has now given approval to nano DAP as well,” Mandaviya said in a tweet.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    He tweeted that this is one more achievement towards achieving self-sufficiency in fertilisers. This is going to benefit farmers, Mandaviya said.

    On Friday, IFFCO managing director U S Awasthi tweeted that the IFFCO Nano DAP has been approved by the ministry of agriculture and notified in the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO) based on its encouraging results.

    “IFFCO will manufacture #NanoDAP; a game changer for Indian agriculture & economy,” he tweeted.

    In December, Awasthi had said IFFCO would soon launch nano DAP at Rs 600 per 500-ml bottle, a move that will help India save foreign exchange and also reduce government subsidies significantly.

    One bottle will be equivalent to one bag of DAP, which currently costs Rs 1,350.

    IFFCO is also planning to launch nano-potash, nano-zinc and nano-copper fertilisers, he had said.

    In June 2021, IFFCO launched nano urea in liquid form as an alternative to conventional urea.

    It has set up many manufacturing plants in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh to produce nano urea.

    There is no government subsidy on nano urea and it is being sold at Rs 240 per bottle.

    For conventional urea, the government provides a huge subsidy to ensure that the farmers get the soil nutrient at a reasonable price.

    The country’s domestic urea production is around 26 million tonnes, while demand is about 35 million tonnes.

    The gap is met through imports.

    India also imports DAP and MoP (muriate of potash) in huge quantities to meet its domestic demand.

  • Rising prices of fertilisers worry farmers in Maharashtra

    By PTI
    AURANGABAD: Farmers in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district have raised concern over the rising prices of fertilisers amid the grim COVID-19 situation and sought help from the government ahead of the upcoming sowing season.

    When contacted, state Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse told PTI that they have written to the central government to reduce the prices of fertilisers.

    Notably, the Centre recently said it is considering subsidies to offset rise in global prices of raw materials of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers in a bid to ensure their availability to farmers at subsidised rates across the country.

    The government said it was taking all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of farmers during the COVID-19 crisis.

    Farmer Deepak Joshi from Devgaon in Paithan said the rising prices of fertilisers have upset his farming budget.

    He said his crop yield last year got sold at lower prices than normal as there were no buyers due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

    “Government agencies suggest use of fertilisers while sowing seeds.

    Not only fertilisers, but the cost of every activity has gone up due to fuel price hike.

    Earlier, two bags of fertilisers used to cost around Rs 1,100 each.

    Now, each bag costs around Rs 1,925,” he said.

    Farmer Ishwar Sapkal from Soyegaon town also expressed similar woes.

    “To cultivate jowar for a yield of 100 kg of grains, we need need 25 kg fertiliser which costs Rs 1,000 now.

    Last time, I fetched a price of Rs 1,000 per quintal for my jowar crop.

    So there was no profit at all,” he said.

    Sakpal has 40 acre of land and this year, he has taken up cultivation of turmeric, ginger and cotton which need less amount of fertilisers as compared to other crops.

    Kalidas Apet, working president of the pro-farmer outfit Shetkari Sanghatna, said the increase in rates of fertilisers is justified only if farmers get the right price for their produce.

    Local agriculture expert Vijayanna Borade said the current second wave of COVID-19 coupled with the fuel price hike and rising prices of fertilisers were a big cause of worry for farmers.

    “The government gave Rs 2,000 each to farmers through the Kisan Samman Yojana, but it has got neutralised with the fertiliser price hike.

    The Kharif season yield this year may go down and cause shortage of food grains,” Borade claimed.

  • Soil disease caused by chemical fertilizers, VC taught organic lessons to farmers

    Today World Soil Day is being celebrated all over the world. Due to increasing pollution and the ever-increasing use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture, the soil production of the state is also getting worse. However, this problem is not only in Chhattisgarh or India, but fertile soil is becoming barren in many parts of the world. According to the scientists of the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, due to ignorance, the farmers of the village are using more chemical fertilizers and insecticides than the greed for higher yields. Due to this the biological properties of the soil have started to decrease. As a result, the fertility of the crop is declining.

    Initiating the cultivation of onion cultivation from cow-urine on about half an acre, took the initiative of organic and mixed chemical farming in KVK on five acres. The result was quite positive. Currently, many farmers are preparing organic farming, Ketchua fertilizer. It is to be known that in order to make farmers and general public aware of soil protection, the United Nations decided to celebrate World Soil Day on 5 December every year in 2013. The arithmetic of the ratios of nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, potas and micronutrients required for farm soils has gone awry. Due to this, the health of the soil is constantly falling. Seeing the deteriorating soil, the Central Government had started the Soil Health Card Scheme.