BackGovt plans task force to formulate new fertilizer policy
Fertilizer minister Ananth Kumar says new urea policy could provide national platform for farmers to use bio-fertilizers
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New Delhi: Minister of chemicals and fertilizers Ananth Kumar on Monday said the government plans to come out with a new holistic fertilizer policy.
The decision was taken following directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a recent review meeting on the subject, Kumar said at the 4th National Conference on Agrochemicals 2014. “The fertilizer ministry plans to soon set up a task force of experts to frame such a policy," he said.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley, in his maiden budget speech on 10 July had stated that the government would formulate a new policy on urea, the most-used fertilizer, which is state subsidized.
The fertilizer minister added that the policy could provide for a national platform for farmers to use bio-fertilizers. He also expressed concerns over the irrational use of fertilizers which could have an adverse affect for achieving a sustainable food and nutritional security for the nation.
The correct proportions in which Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) should be used are 4:2:1. The skewed subsidy scheme has meant that urea, the main provider of nitrogen, is cheap while the other two elements are expensive. As a consequence, fertilizer use in India is taking place in the ratio 8.2:3.2:1.
Kumar also said that his fertilizer ministry proposes to recommend to the department of agriculture to ban those pesticides that are found to be hazardous to biodiversity.
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