Lok Sabha Question No. 4317 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-28
Subject: Use of Chemical Fertilizers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RAMCHARAN BOHARA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4317

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  28 TH  MARCH, 2017

## USE OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS

4317.  SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  fertility  and  production  of  cultivable  land  is  declining  due  to  use  of chemical fertilizers in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to boost organic agriculture in the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the amount allocated for this purpose; and
- (e) the role of agriculture universities to boost use of organic fertilizer in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) & (b): There  is  no  decline  in  soil  fertility  and  productivity  with  balanced  and judicious  use of  chemical fertilizers.  However,   imbalanced  use of   chemical fertilizers coupled  with  low  addition  of  organic  matter  over  years  may  cause  multinutrient deficiencies  as evident from the study conducted by ICAR under All India Coordinated Research  Project on   'Long-Term  Fertilizer  Experiments'  in  different  soil  types  (fixed locations) under dominant cropping systems.
- (c) & (d): Government  is  promoting  organic  farming  in  the  country  through  the schemes  of  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  and  Mission  Organic  Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is newly launched scheme to develop 10,000  organic  clusters  of  20  hectare  each  so  as  to  cover  certified  area  by  2  lakh hectare during 3 years.  Organic Farming is promoted in such areas like hilly, tribal and also rainfed areas where utilization of chemical fertilizers and pesticide is less and in a cluster, a minimum of 65% farmers should belong to the small and marginal categories. Allocation  under  the  scheme  for  the  year  2016-17  is  Rs.  165.96  crore  against  which 151.49 crore released to States.

Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER)  has  been  launched  for  implementation  in  the  States  of  Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura during 2015-16 to 2017-18.  The scheme aims at development of certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers and to support the development of entire value chain starting from inputs, seeds, certification, to the creation of facilities for  collection,  aggregation,  processing,  marketing  and  brand  building  initiative.    The scheme was approved for three years.

An amount of Rs. 158.87 crore was allocated to the North Eastern states during 2015-16   and    Rs.  100  crore    for    the  year  2016-17.    During  2015-16  a  sum  of  Rs. 112.11 crore and during 2016-17, Rs. 31.02 crore have been released to States.

(e): The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  under  Network  project on Soil  Biodiversity-Biofertilizers with  cooperating  centres  located  in  various  State Agricultural  Universities  (SAUs)  has  developed  improved  and  efficient  strains  of biofertilizers  specific  to  different  crops  and  soil  types.   Liquid  Biofertilizer  technology with higher  shelf-life  has  also  been  developed.  Besides,  the  ICAR  and  SAUs  have developed technology to prepare various types of organic manures such as phosphocompost, vermicompost, bio-enriched compost, municipal solid waste compost, etc. from various organic wastes.

The  ICAR  imparts  training,  organizes  Front  Line  Demonstrations  (FLDs)  to educate farmers on all these aspects.

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