Announcementof Fertiliser Pricing Norms Delayed

The pricing norms, finalised by a high-level inter-ministerial group led by an additional secretary in the agriculture ministry, were forwarded for the minister's approval last week, ministry sources said admitting that the announcement was not likely till at least next week.

Conceding that the announcement was expected before the commencement of the rabi (winter cropping) season, particularly in view of differences between the states and fertiliser producers over the `unremunerative prices' during kharif last, the sources said the minister was busy and could not give final approval to the policy. In view of the price decontrol, the Centre could not fix selling prices for phosphatic, potassic and complex nutrients. Under the new mechanism, it was only announcing ceiling prices under which states could negotiate and fix prices.

 

The ministerial group has recommended a ceiling of Rs 8,700 for di-ammonium phosphate in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Kerala, while in others it has suggested Rs 8,900 a tonne which includes a Rs 400 dealers' margin, sources said. Similarly, Rs 4,200 a tonne selling price for muriate of potash (MOP) has been recommended in coastal states and Rs 4,350 a tonne for the rest of the country, both prices being inclusive of Rs 200 as dealers' margin.

For single-super-phosphate, the group has suggested a uniform ceiling of Rs 2,800 a tonne while recommending different ceilings ranging from Rs 6,500 to Rs 8,200 for complex fertilisers.