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A new digital platform to ensure more transparent and farmer-centric fertiliser distribution has been implemented on a pilot basis in 56 districts across 23 states so far, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The new platform 'Framework for Fertilizer Sale' has been jointly developed by Fertiliser and Agriculture Ministries with consent from the state governments. It is implemented in a "staggered pilot manner, with the objective of making the fertiliser distribution system more transparent, organised, farmer-centric, land and crop data integrated and demand driven", Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. Under the proposed arrangement, farmers or their authorised representatives will register through a mobile application and enter land and crop-related details for advance booking (pre-booking) of fertiliser requirements. Upon successful booking of fertilisers, a QR code-based token shall be generated. This QR code
An uncertain monsoon could work in favour of India's soluble fertiliser makers this Kharif season, but a sharp rise in prices poses a bigger risk to demand, industry body SFAI said on Sunday. Prices of key inputs have surged 60-100 per cent over the past year due to China's export curbs and disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia, Soluble Fertilizer Association of India (SFAI) President Rajib Chakraborty said. "Current prices are almost 60 to 100 per cent up," Chakraborty told PTI, adding that monoammonium phosphate (MAP), which sold for around USD 1,000 per tonne over the last couple of years, is now trading at USD 1,500-1,600 per tonne. "An increase of USD 600 per tonne means it's a big thing," he noted. Asked about the biggest risk to the sector this season, Chakraborty said it was the possibility of a drop in consumption due to the price rise. "The moment it becomes very expensive, farmers stop using it," he said, adding that price control was not possible or within the ..
State-owned fertiliser firm RCF on Tuesday said it plans to raise up to Rs 1,500 crore through follow-on public offer (FPO). In a regulatory filing, the company said the Board has approved the raising of funds by way of a "Further Public Offering through a fresh issue of equity shares by the company aggregating up to Rs 1,500 crore". The decision is subject to the receipt of the approval of the shareholders of the company, the Department of Fertilisers, and the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd is one of the leading fertiliser companies in the country. It has two operating units, one in Trombay, Mumbai, and the other in Thal, Raigad district. RCF manufactures urea, complex fertilisers, bio-fertilisers, micro-nutrients, 100 per cent water-soluble fertilisers, soil conditioners and a wide range of industrial chemicals.
The forced bundling of specialty fertilisers such as biostimulants, water solubles and micronutrients with subsidised urea and DAP is illegal and is hurting both farmers and a specialty fertiliser industry that has grown to nearly USD 1 billion, the Indian Micro Fertilizer Manufacturers Association (IMMA) said. Dealers are coercively tagging unsubsidised specialty products with subsidised fertilisers at the point of sale, leaving farmers with no choice but to buy items they may not need, IMMA president Rahul Mirchandani said. "The practice was damaging the reputation of legitimate brands built through years of farmer outreach and demand generation," he said at the SOMS 2026 (Specialty Fertilizer Summit & B2B Expo 2026), being held from July 2-4. The practice amounts to an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act and a prohibited tie-in arrangement under the Competition Act, besides being punishable under Clause 31 of the Fertiliser Control Order, which allows for ...