Fertilizers

Iffco seeks govt nod to launch new nano NPK fertiliser in retail market

Fertiliser major IFFCO, which has introduced nano liquid urea and nano liquid DAP, has now developed nano NPK nutrient and sought the government's approval to launch it in the market. IFFCO's MD U S Awasthi said the cooperative will launch nano NPK product, which is in granule form, after the necessary approval from the government. He said the company will produce this product at its Kandla unit. IFFCO will sell this product at Rs 950 per bag of 5 kg, Awasthi said, adding that this will significantly reduce the consumption of urea and DAP (di-ammonium phosphate). In September, he said that the cooperative has invested around Rs 2,000 crore since 2017 on its two new innovative products nano liquid urea and nano liquid DAP. He is hopeful that farmers will adopt these key nutrients in a big way over the next 2-3 years. IFFCO launched the world's first 'Nano Liquid Urea' fertiliser in June 2021. Thereafter, it came up with Nano-DAP fertiliser in April 2023. Nano urea is available at

Govt acted to boost domestic DAP supply amid disruptions: Anupriya Patel

Union Minister Anupriya Patel on Wednesday said the geopolitical disturbances this year caused disruptions in fertiliser supply chain and also impacted domestic availability of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), but the government took many steps to overcome challenges of providing nutrients to farmers on time. Addresing an annual seminar of Fertilisers Association of India, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel said India's agricultural sector depends significantly on the import of some of the critical fertilizers like DAP (Di-ammonium phosphate), MoP (Muriate of Potash), NPKs and partially even urea. "And this year, there have been some geopolitical disturbances which led to supply chain disruption and that had an impact on the availability of fertilizers, especially of DAP in the country. But the Department (of fertilizers) rose to the occasion," she said. To overcome this challenge, Patel said the Centre took several proactive measures. "Along with the ...

Chouhan calls for strict action against sale of spurious seeds, fertilisers

He pointed out that "farmers often complain about receiving poor-quality inputs, resulting in significant losses"

Opposition targets Haryana govt over farmers facing DAP fertiliser shortage

Farmers in some Haryana districts are grappling with a DAP fertiliser shortage but the government has failed to take appropriate steps to address the issue, opposition Congress leaders and farmer activists in the state have alleged. Long queues of farmers have been seen at some places in the state and even the police had to be called in for crowd management. Targeting the government, Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja said it has failed to take appropriate steps in time. She alleged that the shortage of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, essential for the cultivation of mustard, wheat and some other crops, has forced farmers to stand in long queues and still they are not able to get enough to meet their needs. "In many places, the situation has become dire and farmers have been forced to hold protests and demonstrations. After urea, DAP is the most widely used fertiliser in the country," Selja said. DAP contains nitrogen and phosphorus, which are primary ...

Subsidy on P&K fertilisers to raise farmers' income: Agri Minister Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the government's decision to provide subsidy of Rs 24,475 crore on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for rabi season would help reduce input cost for farmers and enhance their income. He also welcomed the Cabinet's approval to continuation of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme till 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs 35,000 crore. Welcoming the decision of subsidy on P&K nutrients, Chouhan said in a social media post on 'X', "this will ensure availability of fertilisers to farmers at affordable rates". The Cabinet's decision would also give new impetus to the government's commitment to reduce production cost, increase income of farmers and make farming a profitable business, the minister added. Chouhan said the PM-AASHA scheme will not only help in giving remunerative prices to farmers for their produce but will also control the price volatility of essential commodities. The ...

Cabinet okays Rs 24,475 crore subsidy on P&K fertilisers for rabi season

The government on Wednesday approved Rs 24,474.53 crore subsidy on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the rabi season of 2024-25 to ensure supply of crop nutrients to farmers at affordable rates. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for rabi season 2024 (from October 2024 to March 2025) on P&K fertilizers. "The tentative budgetary requirement for rabi season 2024 would be approximately Rs 24,475.53 crore," an official statement said. The decision is aimed at ensuring the availability of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized, affordable and reasonable prices. The government is making available 28 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/importers. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is governed by the NBS scheme with effect from April 1, 2010. "In view of the recent trends in the international prices of fertilizers & inputs i.e. urea, ...

Iffco invested Rs 2,000 cr since 2017 on nano fertilisers: MD Awasthi

Fertiliser major IFFCO has invested around Rs 2,000 crore since 2017 on its two new innovative products nano liquid urea and nano liquid DAP and is hopeful that farmers will adopt these key nutrients in a big way over the next 2-3 years, its Managing Director U S Awasthi said. Cooperative IFFCO launched the world's first 'Nano Liquid Urea' fertiliser in June 2021. Thereafter, it came up with Nano-DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertiliser in April 2023. Nano urea is available at around Rs 240 per bottle of 500 ml while nano liquid DAP at Rs 600 per bottle. "We have invested around Rs 2,000 crore since 2017 on nano fertilisers," he said. The investments have been made in research and development and setting up manufacturing plants along with branding and marketing activities. Awasthi said the co-operative is also investing Rs 200 crore annually in the promotion of nano-urea and nano-DAP and increasing awareness among farmers about how to use these products along with conventional urea a

Use organic fertilisers to ensure soil does not turn infertile: Chouhan

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday urged farmers to switch to organic fertilisers to save the soil from turning infertile and also for the betterment of human health. The Union minister for agriculture and farmers welfare was interacting virtually with farmers and 'Swayampurna Mitras' (officials assigned to deliver government schemes) of Goa. Chief minister Pramod Sawant joined the interaction from here. It was aired across panchayats, municipalities and zonal agricultural offices in the coastal state. "Gradually, we have to switch towards organic farming. The use of chemical fertilisers is affecting the soil. If there is uninterrupted use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the soil will turn infertile. It is also bad for human health," Chouhan said while hailing the state government for providing thrust on organic farming by giving various subsidies. The 'Swayampurna (self sufficient) Goa' initiative is an example of how the government can use available ...

India imports 1.8 MT urea, 2.2 MT fertiliser from China in 2023-24

India imported 18.65 lakh tonne urea and 22.58 lakh tonne phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers from China during 2023-24, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said, "Government of India through Department of Fertilizers imports urea (agriculture purpose) on government account to bridge the gap between production and assessed demand." As per the data, the country imported 70.42 lakh tonne urea in 2023-24 for USD 2.6 billion. Of this, India imported 18.65 lakh tonne urea from China valuing USD 730 million. "So far as P&K fertilizers are concerned, these grades of fertilizers are covered under Open General Licence (OGL) under the Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS). They are imported by the companies on their commercially viable terms," Patel said. The value of imported P&K fertilizers is not maintained in the department. India imported a total of 106.53 lakh

Limit chemical fertiliser use, promote organic farming: Ramnath Thakur

Union Minister Ramnath Thakur said on Saturday that the Centre is focusing on limiting the use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture and promoting organic farming, especially in the northeastern states. He maintained that budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector has increased manifold under the BJP-led NDA government, with special attention on minimising problems faced by farmers. Addressing a press conference on the provisions of Union Budget 2024-25, Thakur said, You must have seen in media that two states have been given special attention in this Budget Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. But our Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ji has already clarified that not just two states, allocations have been made for all states across sectors, be it railways, health, agriculture or other." The Union budget had been prepared under the guidance of the prime minister, after taking into account the problems faced by different states, he said. In the agriculture sector, where the use of ..

Govt provided Rs 37,000 cr fertiliser subsidy till July 22: Minister Patel

The government has provided nearly Rs 37,000 crore fertiliser subsidy so far this fiscal to ensure adequate supply of crop nutrients to farmers at affordable prices, Parliament was informed on Friday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel said, "The government provides subsidy to ensure adequate availability of fertilisers at affordable prices to the farmers. Under 'DBT in Fertilizers' system, 100 per cent subsidy on various fertiliser grades is released to the fertiliser companies, on actual sales to the beneficiaries based on Aadhar authentication through POS (point-of-sale) devices installed at each retail shop." She provided details of fertiliser subsidy provided by the government since the 2010-11 fiscal. According to the data, the total fertiliser subsidy stood at Rs 36,993.39 crore till July 22 of the 2024-25 fiscal. In the previous financial year, the subsidy has gone down to Rs 1,95,420.51 crore from Rs 2,54,798

Cancer risk from some pesticides comparable to that due to smoking: Study

The effect of exposure to certain pesticides "rivalled" that of smoking in increasing cancer risk in farmers, according to a US study that compiled 69 such chemicals, including four commonly used in India. Researchers found that for three types of cancer -- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and bladder cancer -- the effects of pesticide exposure were "more pronounced" than those of smoking, widely acknowledged as a cancer risk factor. "We present a list of major pesticide contributors for some specific cancers but we highlight strongly that it is the combination of all of them and not just a single one that matters," senior author Isain Zapata, an associate professor at the Rocky Vista University, US, said. The list, compiled in the study published in the journal Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society, features 69 pesticides, including 2,4-D, Acephate, Metolachlor, Methomyl. These four are among many commonly used in India to combat various threats to crop yields, such as insects an

Fertiliser stocks zoom up to 7% amidst healthy monsoon expectations

Shares of fertiliser companies rose up to 7 per cent on the BSE in Monday's intra day deal amidst healthy monsoon predicted by IMD

Iffco plans to begin production of Nano Urea Plus fertiliser this week

Cooperative major IFFCO on Monday said it will begin production of the 'Nano Urea Plus' fertiliser this week and its commercial sale from May 1. Nano Urea Plus is a new version of nano urea meant for meeting crop nitrogen requirements at critical growth phases. Currently, IFFCO offers 'Nano Urea' with 1-5 per cent weight by weight nitrogen content. However, the Nano Urea Plus fertiliser has 16 per cent nitrogen content weight by weight. "We will start the production of Nano Urea Plus this week and the product will be available in the market from May 1," a senior IFFCO official told PTI. The production of Nano Urea Plus will begin at IFFCO's three plants, each with the capacity to produce 2 lakh bottles every day. The government has already notified the specifications of the Nano Urea Plus fertiliser and IFFCO will manufacture it for three years. The IFFCO official said Nano Urea Plus is a chlorophyll charger and yield booster and helps in climate-smart farming. IFFCO has three n

New govt may kick off pesticide, seed reforms in agriculture sector

The industry wants reforms in the Central Insecticides Laboratory (CIL) as well to cut down on pending lists and time taken for clearance of new applications

PM Modi launches development projects worth Rs 35,700 cr in Jharkhand

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 35,700 crore in Jharkhand. Among various projects, he dedicated to the nation the Rs 8,900-crore fertiliser plant of Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd in Sindri in Dhanbad district. The plant will add about 12.7 LMT (lakh metric tonne) per annum of indigenous urea production, benefiting farmers of the country. This is the third fertiliser plant to be revived in the country, after such facilities at Gorakhpur and Ramagundam, which were also dedicated to the nation by the prime minister in December 2021 and November 2022 respectively. India's urea production reached 310 lakh tonne now from 225 lakh tonne in 2014, a significant step towards self-dependence in fertiliser, he said. PM Modi also launched rail, power and coal projects worth over Rs 26,000 crore in Jharkhand. "Jharkhand got a gift of projects worth over Rs 35,000 crore. It was Modi's guarantee to revive the Sindri ...

Govt provides nearly Rs 1.71 trn as fertiliser subsidy till Jan in 2023-24

The government has provided nearly Rs 1.71 lakh crore as fertilisers subsidy till January in this fiscal year, Parliament was informed on Friday. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba said the government provides subsidy on various fertilizers to ensure adequate availability of fertilizers at affordable prices to farmers. "The subsidy provided for fertilisers in the country for the year 2023-24 (as of January 31, 2024) is Rs 1,70,923 crore," he added. The Government has implemented Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) policy with effect from April 1, 2010, for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers. Under the policy, a fixed amount of subsidy, decided on annual/semi-annual basis, is provided on notified P&K fertilizers depending on their nutrient content. "Under this policy,P (maximum retail price) is fixed by fertilizer companies as per market dynamics at reasonable level which is monitored by the government. Accordingly, .

Nano DAP to bring down fertiliser subsidy bills, says industry body

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the expansion of Nano DAP application across various crops in all agro-climatic zones on Thursday

Fertiliser subsidy bill likely to be within FY24 BE: Minister Mandaviya

He said actual subsidy expenditure would have been lower if freight charges had not risen due to Red Sea crisis

Don't mislead farmers over neem-coated urea price: Mandaviya to Akhilesh

Fertiliser Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday made it clear that neem-coated urea is currently sold at Rs 266.5 per 45 kg bag and the same rates will continue, while hitting back at Samajwadi Party (SP) National President Akhilesh Yadav for misleading farmers over the issue. Responding to Samajwadi Party President's January 7th post on X, Mandaviya wrote on the social media platform, "First of all, I want to make it clear to you that neem-coated urea was available at Rs 266.5 per 45 kg bag, is available now, and will continue to be available." The research has led to development of new sulfur-coated 'Urea Gold' in the interest of farmers, he said and added that its new quantity and price have been decided. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the SP leader had raised questions on the vaccine made in the country. The entire country and scientists have not been able to forget, he wrote on X. "Today again you have made fun of the same scientists. I hope that you will not mislead the