The country might witness a fall in agricultural production in the coming two years, if the fertiliser sector does not see proper reforms, the Fertiliser Association of India has said.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, chairman of the Fertiliser Association of India and Chairman, Coromandel International Ltd A Vellayan said that the increasing imbalance in the use of crop nutrients in Indian agriculture will show negative results in the coming years in the form of falling productivity and decreased nutrient response from the soil.
According to the FAI, the NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potash) ratio in the country has reached 6.5:2.9:1 in 2011-12. The ratio considered ideal stands at 4:2:1.
The ratio was closest to the ideal ratio in 2009-10, when it was 4.3:2:1. However, after the government introduced the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) regime for P and K fertilisers in 2010, the prices of these nutrients spiralled rapidly while Urea prices remained controlled and significantly low.
Hence this has resulted in bias in favour of Urea when it comes to fertiliser use.
Prices of non-urea fertilisers have drastically gone up since the implementation of NBS for non-urea fertilisers in 2010.
Prices of Potassic fertiliser Di Ammonium Phosphate has gone up by over 150% from Rs 9,350 in 2010 per tonne to Rs 24000 currently.
Similarly in the pottasic fertiliser Muriate of Potash (MoP) has shot up by 280% from Rs 4,455 in 2010 to Rs 17000 currently.
Presently, subsidised Urea for Agricultural use is sold at Rs 5,300 per tonne and the last time Urea prices were raised by 10% was in 2010. recently, the cabinet sent the proposal of the department of fertilisers to raise Urea prices by 10% back.
"This NPK use ratio may distort further until Urea is brought within the purview of NBS," FAI said in a note.
This newspaper has earlier written how despite increasing use of fertilisers, the the nutrient response ratio, which is the ratio of foodgrain productivity to nutrient consumption, has seen a steady decline. The country might witness a fall in agricultural production in the coming two years, if the fertiliser sector does not see proper reforms, the Fertiliser Association of India has said. Speaking to reporters at a press conference, chairman of the Fertiliser Association of India and Chairman, Coromandel International Ltd A Vellayan said that the increasing imbalance in the use of crop nutrients in Indian agriculture will show negative results in the coming years in the form of falling productivity and decreased nutrient response from the soil. According to the FAI, the NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potash) ratio in the country has reached 6.5:2.9:1 in 2011-12. The ratio considered ideal stands at 4:2:1. The ratio was closest to the ideal ratio in 2009-10, when it was 4.3:2:1. However, after the government introduced the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) regime for P and K fertilisers in 2010, the prices of these nutrients spiralled rapidly while Urea prices remained controlled and significantly low. Hence this has resulted in bias in favour of Urea when it comes to fertiliser use. Prices of non-urea fertilisers have drastically gone up since the implementation of NBS for non-urea fertilisers in 2010. Prices of Potassic fertiliser Di Ammonium Phosphate has gone up by over 150% from Rs 9,350 in 2010 per tonne to Rs 24000 currently. Similarly in the pottasic fertiliser Muriate of Potash (MoP) has shot up by 280% from Rs 4,455 in 2010 to Rs 17000 currently. Presently, subsidised Urea for Agricultural use is sold at Rs 5,300 per tonne and the last time Urea prices were raised by 10% was in 2010. recently, the cabinet sent the proposal of the department of fertilisers to raise Urea prices by 10% back. "This NPK use ratio may distort further until Urea is brought within the purview of NBS," FAI said in a note. This newspaper has earlier written how despite increasing use of fertilisers, the the nutrient response ratio, which is the ratio of foodgrain productivity to nutrient consumption, has seen a steady decline.http://business-standard.com/india/news/more-fertiliser-usefalling-responsepoorer-soil-/460469/)
