The Hindu Business Line : Govt to extend raw material support to FACT

The Union Government is in the process of finding companies which can extend raw material support to the public sector FACT, Dr J.S. Sarma, Union Secretary of Fertilisers, has said.

Speaking at a function to mark the launch of bagged gypsum at the FACT premises, he said that the Government would be able to work out some arrangements in this regard so that FACT could operate successfully. He pointed out that the rise in the prices of raw materials is a matter of concern and it had affected the operations of FACT.

The price of sulphur went up to $700 as against $70 last year, rock phosphate surged to $300 from $70 and phosphoric acid is now being imported at $2,000 compared to $566 last year.

The Government, he said, will continue to take a positive approach towards FACT as it is one of the first public sectors established in the country in 1948. According to Mr Sarma, the recent financial package of Rs 200 crore to the company is only an interim relief and more financial support would be extended shortly.

The Government will look at the case of FACT more holistically for the continued sustenance and profitable operations of the company in the coming years.

On the various joint venture proposals mooted by FACT, the Fertiliser Secretary said that they were good and could be achieved in a short time. He expressed hope that the Government would be able to find funds for these additional projects.

According to FACT officials, the newly launched FACT bagged gypsum is one of the best sources of calcium, the most important secondary nutrient, which provides protection from nutrient excess and deficiencies and also smoothens out problems due to pH variations in soil. It can be used as a major fertilising product.

It is estimated that the consumption of gypsum in south India is around 2 lakh tonnes. With proper and timely placement of products and all out efforts to increase awareness among the farming households on the various quality attributes of FACT gypsum, the company could able to corner a lions share of the entire gypsum market in south India.

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