Fertiliser bags to carry PM Narendra Modi's appeal to limit its use

The manufacturing company name is mentioned in 25-30 per cent of the fertiliser bag

Fertiliser bags, under the 'One Nation One Fertiliser' scheme as part of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna (PMBJP), will carry an appeal from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to farmers to reduce the consumption of chemical fertilisers and preserve Mother Earth.

According to an official order, this message aligns with the PM-PRANAM scheme, which aims to safeguard the health of Mother Earth. The objectives include promoting balanced and sustainable use of chemical fertilisers, adopting alternative options like organic, nano, and bio-fertilisers, and encouraging natural and organic farming.

Under the 'One Nation One Fertiliser' scheme, all fertiliser bags, whether they contain Urea, Di-Ammonia Phosphate (DAP), Muriate of Potash (MOP), or NPK, will sport the brand names 'Bharat Urea,' 'Bharat DAP,' 'Bharat MOP,' and 'Bharat NPK.'

A few months ago, an official statement regarding the scheme stated its aims to ensure timely supply of fertilisers and to eliminate farmers' confusion when choosing among the many brands available in the market.

The name of the manufacturing company is mentioned on 25 to 30 per cent of the fertiliser bag.

Meanwhile, under PM-PRANAM (an acronym for Prime Minister's Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Generation, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth), which was approved by the government a few weeks ago, states are incentivised to use non-chemical fertilisers.

For example, if a state is using 10 lakh tonnes of conventional fertiliser and reduces its consumption by three lakh tonnes, then the subsidy saving would amount to Rs 3,000 crore. Out of these savings, the Centre will allocate 50 per cent of it—Rs 1,500 crore to the state for promoting alternative fertilisers and other development works.

PM-PRANAM was first announced in the FY24 Budget by the Union government.