Lok Sabha Question No. 61 (STARRED), answered on 2023-02-07
Subject: Production of Bio-Fertilizers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Margani Bharat, Pocha Brahmananda Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 61

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 TH     FEBRUARY, 2023

## PRODUCTION OF BIO-FERTILIZERS

- *61 . SHRI MARGANI BHARAT: SHRI POCHA BRAHMANANDA REDDY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a)     the total production of fertilizers including bio-fertilizers, type-wise;
- (b)    whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  increase  the  production  of  biofertilizers;
- (c)    if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d)    whether the Government has experienced any challenges in promoting bio-fertilizers among farmers; and
- (e)    if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to address these challenges?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR) (a) to (e):     A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  IN  RESPECT  OF  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 61 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 07.02.2023 REGARDING 'PRODUCTION OF BIO-FERTILIZERS'.

(a):  The total production of various types of fertilizers during last 3 year (2019-20 to 2021-22).

(in LMT)

| Year      |   Urea |   DAP |    NPK |   SSP |   Total fertilizers |
|-----------|--------|-------|--------|-------|---------------------|
| 2019- 20  | 244.58 | 45.5  |  93.34 | 42.53 |              425.95 |
| 2020 - 21 | 246.05 | 37.74 | 100.54 | 49.35 |              433.68 |
| 2021-22   | 250.72 | 42.22 |  89.67 | 53.34 |              435.95 |

Source: dbtfert.nic.in

The total production of Bio-fertilizers during last 3 years (2019-20 to 2021-22)

| Year      |   Carrier based (in metric tonnes) |   Liquid Based (in KL) |
|-----------|------------------------------------|------------------------|
| 2019- 20  |                            79436.7 |                30105.9 |
| 2020 - 21 |                           192329   |                42239.8 |
| 2021-22   |                           169379   |               232934   |

Source: NCONF

The total production of various types of bio-fertilizers (Liquid and Carrier based) for the year 2021-2022 is given below.

| Sl. No.   | Type of bio-fertilizers                        |   Liquid Based (in MT) |   Carrier Based (in KL) |
|-----------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
| 1         | Azotobacter                                    |                6276.43 |                10720.8  |
| 2         | Azospirillum                                   |                3559.3  |                 4963.18 |
| 3         | Rhizobium                                      |                3419.01 |                 5996.98 |
| 4         | Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria                |               28832.2  |                11235.6  |
| 5         | Potassium Mobilizing Biofertilizers            |              122261    |                69976    |
| 6         | Zinc solubilizing Bacteria                     |               15362.4  |                 5229.93 |
| 7         | Mycorrhizal bio-fertilisers                    |                 992.09 |                17528.4  |
| 8         | Acetobacter                                    |               17095    |                  724.65 |
| 9         | NPK Consortium                                 |               30011.8  |                10315.3  |
| 10        | Phosphate Solubilising Fungal Bio- fertilizers |                   0.6  |                  377.16 |
| 11        | Other                                          |                5123.76 |                31881.7  |
|           | Total                                          |              232934    |               169379    |

Source: NCONF

(b) & (c):      Under the Soil Health Card (SHC)/ Soil Health Management (SHM) schemes of National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility, bio-fertilizers are promoted through provisions of financial assistance for strengthening of infrastructure for production and quality control. Under the scheme, there is provision for providing assistance for setting up of biofertilizer production unit @ Rs. 160 lakh/ unit of 200 MT capacities. Since 2014-15 to 2021-22 a total 25 bio-fertilizers units have been established in different States across the country to increase the production of bio-fertilizers.

(d) & (e):    The major challenges of bio fertilizers are maintaining viability/performance of Bio Fertilizers and its quality control. There is less demand for the bio fertilizer in comparison to chemical fertilizers amongst farmers primarily on account of perception that chemical fertilizers have high nutrient content vis-à-vis bio fertilizer which is not direct source of nutrients secondly bio fertilizers being live products are temperature sensitive and have short shelf life posing difficulty in storage and transportation to farmer's doorstep. Further, after chemical fertilizer usage, the impact of bio fertilizer on crop productivity is limited.

To encourage farmers to use the bio-fertilizers, Government has taken various initiatives such as:

- i. Under  SHC/SHM  schemes  Government  is  promoting  Integrated  Nutrient  Management (INM) through judicious use of chemical fertilizers in conjunction with bio-fertilizers and organic manures for improving soil health and fertility.
- ii. Ministry of Fertilizer directed all fertilizer marketing companies for mandatory off-take of Fermented Organic Manure and other organic and bio-fertilizers with chemical fertilizers as a 'Basket Approach' to ensure balanced and Integrated Nutrient Management for the crops.
- iii. The Integrated use of bio-fertilizer, organic fertilizer and organic manure has been made integral part of package of practices developed by ICAR and State Agriculture Universities.
- iv. ICAR  has  developed  liquid  bio-fertilizer  technology  with  higher  shelf  -life  and  also developed improved strains of bio-fertilizers specific to different crops and soil types.
- v. For ensuring quality, bio-fertilizers have been notified under Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985 and their quality standards have been specified which are required to be adhered mandatorily by the manufacturers.
- vi. Government is promoting use of bio fertilizers under organic farming in the country through dedicated  schemes  of  Parampargat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  and  Mission  Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER).