Lok Sabha Question No. 3921 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-24
Subject: Supply of Fertilizers
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Ramesh Chand Bind, R.K. Singh Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3921 TO BE ANSWERED

ON: 24.03.2023

## Supply of Fertilizers

## 3921:  SHRI RAMESH CHAND BIND: SHRI R.K. SINGH PATEL:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of initiatives taken by the Government in the last three years to improvise supply of fertilizers to farmers, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any initiative to strengthen the current supply chain and distribution system to ensure hassle-free supply of fertilizers to farmers in the country, particularly in aspirational districts in Uttar Pradesh;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has fixed any target to reduce the utilization of chemicals fertilizers in agricultural sector in Uttar Pradesh; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA)

- (a) to (c):   The following steps are taken by the Government every season to meet the adequate and timely requirement of fertilizers in the country:
- i. Before the commencement of each cropping season, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), in consultation with all the State Governments, assesses the state-wise & month-wise requirement of fertilizers.
- ii. On the basis of requirement projected, Department of Fertilizers allocates sufficient/ adequate  quantities of fertilizers to States by issuing monthly supply plan  and continuously monitors the availability.
- iii. The movement of all major subsidized fertilizers is monitored throughout the country by  an  on-line  web  based  monitoring  system  called  integrated  Fertilizer  Monitoring System (iFMS);

iv. The State Governments are regularly advised to coordinate with manufacturers and importers of fertilizers for streamlining the supplies through timely placement of indents for railway rakes.

v. Regular Weekly Video Conference is conducted jointly by DA&FW and DoF with State  Agriculture  Officials  and  corrective  actions  are  taken  to  dispatch  fertilizer  as indicated by the State Governments.

vi. The gap between demand (requirement) and production for Urea & other fertilizer is met  through  imports.  The  imports  are  planned  well  in  advance  to  ensure  timely availability.

vii. It  is  the  mandate  of  the  State  Government  to  ensure  comfortable  availability  of fertilizers within the states.

Further,  fertilizers  are  distributed  through  various  dealers/retailers  in  the  State. State  Governments  are  empowered  to  register  the  number  of  dealers/retailers  to operate  in  a  state  based  on  the  requirement  for  efficient  distribution  of  fertilizers  to farmers. In regards to Uttar Pradesh, the State Government has informed that Fertilizers are  being  supplied  by  the  Government  of  India  to  the  State  Government  as  per  the demand  assessed  based  on  the  requirement  of  the  farmers.  In  order  to  ensure comfortable availability of UREA, DAP, NPK at the time of peak demand for the year 2023-24, a target has been set for prepositioning of 06.00 lakhs metric ton of UREA and 05.00  lakhs  metric  ton  of  DAP/NPK  stock  through  Provincial  Cooperative  Federation, which will be sold through cooperative societies in UP including aspirational districts.

On the basis of the average daily sales of the districts for a week, the districts with low availability are identified and fertilizers are supplied on priority.

At the district level, a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate to review the easy availability/supply of fertilizers according to the regional requirement.

(d) & (e):   As informed by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, no target has been set  to  reduce  the  use  of  chemical  fertilizers.  However,  to  promote  balanced  use  of fertilizers, farmers are being made aware through seminars and farmer's schools. Apart from  this  natural  farming  and  organic  farming  programs  such  as  Paramparagat  Krishi Vikas Yojna, Mamami Gangey, etc. have been implemented that aims at promotion of organic, bio-fertilizers and reduction in use of chemical fertilizers.

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