Pilot fertiliser distribution platform rolled out in 56 districts: Govt

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 the Ministries of Fertilisers and Agriculture with the consent of the state governments.

 

It is being 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 shall be scanned by fertiliser retailers through point-of-sale (PoS) machines, and fertiliser shall be distributed following Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, as per the existing procedure.

 

"The pilot of this initiative has been implemented so far in 56 districts across 23 states in a phased manner," the minister said.

 

Furthermore, the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS) is an online platform developed for real-time monitoring and management of fertiliser movement across the country.

 

Under the system, real-time monitoring of fertiliser dispatches, allocation, rake placement, stock position and state-wise supply status is carried out by the respective states and stakeholders.