Lok Sabha Question No. 1153 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-11
Subject: Shift from Chemical Fertilizers to Organic Fertilizers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Parbhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1153

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## SHIFT FROM CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS TO ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

1153. SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the Government to shift farmers from chemical fertilizers to organic fertilizers;
- (b) whether the Government is providing any financial incentives or subsidies to farmers to adopt organic farming practices, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the manner in which the Government proposes to face the challenges of increasing the production of organic fertilizers to meet the rising demands;
- (d) the  assistance  being  provided  to  farmers  in  shifting  from  conventional  to  organic farming practices; and
- (e) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase  the  availability  of  organic fertilizers in rural areas?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a), (b) & (d): To shift farmers from chemical fertilizers to organic fertilizers, Government  is  promoting  organic  farming  through  the  schemes  of  Paramparagat  Krishi Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  in  all  the  States/UTs  (except  North  Eastern  States).  For  North Eastern  States,  Mission  Organic  Value  Chain  Development  for  North  Eastern  Region (MOVCDNER)  scheme  is  being  implemented.  Both  the  schemes  stress  on  end-to-end support  to  farmers  engaged  in  organic  farming  i.e.  from  production  to  processing, certification  &  marketing  and  post-harvest  management  training  and  capacity  building. Under PKVY, assistance of Rs. 31,500 per ha for a period of three years is provided for promotion of organic farming. Out of this, assistance of Rs. 15,000 per ha for a period of three years is provided to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer for on- farm /off -farm organic inputs. Under MOVCDNER, assistance of Rs. 46,500/ha for 3 years is provided for creation of Farmer Producer Organizations, support to farmers for organic inputs etc. Out of this, assistance @ Rs. 32500/ ha for 3 years is provided to farmers for off -farm /on -farm organic  inputs  under  the  scheme  including  Rs.  15,000  as  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  to  the farmers.

(c): 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.

(e): Government of India is implementing Galvanizing Organic Bio Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan)  scheme  under  which  the  Liquid  Fermented  Organic  Manure  (LFOM)/ Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) is produced as by product of the Compressed Bio Gas plants. The Government of India is providing Market Development Assistance (MDA) @ Rs 1500/Metric  Tonne  (MT)  for  FOM,  LOM  and  Phosphate  Rich  Organic  Manure  (PROM). This MDA boosts the consumption of organic manure by the farmers.

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