Lok Sabha Question No. 2268 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-15
Subject: Checking Quality of Compost
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2268

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 15 TH  MARCH, 2022

## CHECKING QUALITY OF COMPOST

2268. SHRI T.R. BAALU:

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

- (a) the    steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  setting  up  labs  for  checking  the  quality  and propagation of compost on farmland;
- (b) the  remedial  steps  that  have  been  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  keeping  in view the fact that according to clause 8 of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 brought in by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change the Ministry of Agriculture has to  provide  flexibility  in  Fertilizer  Control  Order  for  manufacturing  and  sale  of  compost, propagate  utilization  of  compost  on  farmland,  set  up  laboratories  to  test  the  quality  of compost  produced  by  local  authorities  or  their  authorized  agencies  and  issue  suitable guidelines  for  maintaining  the  quality  of  compost  and  ratio  of  use  of  compost  visa-a-vis chemical fertilizers while applying compost to farmland; and
- (c) if not,  the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a):  Under Soil Health management (SHM) scheme, Government is providing assistance up to  Rs  85  lakhs  to  states  for  setting  up  of  Biofertilizer/  organic  fertilizers  quality  testing Laboratories.  The funds are also provided under the RKVY. There are 7  Central Government Organic Fertilizer  testing  laboratories  and    25  Laboratories  notified    by  State  Governments under FCO (1985) for quality testing of various compost  viz, city-compost , vermi-compost, phospho-compost  at  the  State  namely  Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Gujarat,

Kashmir, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The  manufactures  are  required  to  adhere  to  quality  standard  specified  of  various compost   in FCO (1985). The producers are not required to obtain manufacturing license for production of compost but for selling of compost producers are required to take authorization from respective State Government. However, authorization for sale is not required for sale of vermicompost up to 50 MT.

Under  Paramparagat Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  and  Mission  Organic  Value  Chain Development in North East Region (MOVCDNER) schemes Government is encouraging the farmers for use of compost and other organic inputs. Financial support of Rs 31000/ ha / 3 years  and  Rs  32500/  ha/  3  years  are  provided  under  PKVY  and  MOVCDNER  schemes respectively for various organic inputs including compost.

(b) and (c): Under clause 14-15 of the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 it was earlier required for  the  manufacturer to obtain the Certificate of Manufacturing of Organic fertilizer from the Registering Authority of the State Government. In order to facilitate entrepreneurs to enter in the  business  of  manufacturing  of  city  compost,  this  Ministry  has  dispensed  with  the requirement of obtaining Certificate of Manufacture for manufacturing of organic fertilizer/ city compost. Further, in case of City Compost, the letter of authorization issued under clause 8 shall unless renewed, suspended or cancelled is valid in perpetuity. Under schedule IV of the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985, the DA &  FW  has  specified  the  specification  of  Organic Fertilizer namely, City Compost, Vermi Compost, Bio Enriched Organic Manure and general specification  of  organic  manure.  Clause  19  of  the  FCO,  strictly  prohibits  the  sale  of  the organic fertilizer which are not of prescribed standards. The method of analysis has also been prescribed  in  the    Schedule  IV  D  for  determination  of  various  content  of  Organic/  City compost. In order to encourage the sale of City Compost at a comparative low price, the GOI under clause 22(c) of FCO has notified units of bulk sale of City Compost directly to farmers. Where the manufacturer is State Government or Municipality, these are exempted from the requirement  of  obtaining  the  Authorization  letter  for  sale.  Also  the  manufacturer  of  vermi compost  who  have  annual  production  capacity  less  than  50  MT  are  exempted  from  the requirement of Authorization letter.

In the specification of city compost specified in Schedule IV, the value of moisture content is amended from the existing value of 15-25% to 25% maximum in order to take into account the tropical weather conditions in the quality parameters.

This Ministry is regularly pursuing the State Governments to encourage the use of City Compost.  Advisories  have  been  issued  to  the  State  Governments  to  encourage  the manufacture,  sale  and  distribution  of  the  City  Compost.  The  State  Governments  were requested  to  educate  farmers  through  their  Extension  machinery  on  the  use  of  various organic fertilizer including city compost. All the States were pursued to encourage the use of organic fertilizers including  City Compost in the Zonal Conference. States are also advised from time to time through various forums to take quality control measures under FCO, 1985 to ensure the supply of good quality compost to the farmers. The Ministry has advised the State Government  during  Rabi  Zonal  Conference  to  assess  per  annum  requirement  of  organic fertilizer of about 3 tonne/ hectare/ per annum as per ICAR recommendations and states were also  requested  to  evaluate  all  sources  of  organic  fertilizer  and  bio-  fertilizer  available  with them and to meet the balance requirement through city compost. Further, Soil Health Cards are being distributed to farmers which carry deficiency of soil nutrients and general fertilizer recommendations.

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