The government has prevented a fertiliser crisis in the country even as the global markets faced crisis due to price escalations and supply disruptions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a gathering in Gandhinagar on Saturday. He also stated that the fertiliser subsidy relief to the farmers will cross ₹2 lakh crore this year, as the government is taking most of the price burden due to global price rise.

After launching IFFCO’s nano urea(liquid) plant at Kalol in Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi stated that due to the global turmoil after the Covid pandemic and Ukraine war, the international urea prices had shot up to ₹3,500 for a 50 kg bag, but the farmers were given them at a subsidised rate of ₹300 a bag.

"Also with regards to DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate), the earlier governments bore the burden of ₹500 per bag of 50 kg. Whereas our government has ensured that farmers take the least burden despite jump in international prices. For each 50 kg bag of DAP, the government currently bears a sum of ₹2,500. ," Modi said

"Last year a fertiliser subsidy of ₹1.60 lakh crore was given to the farmers. This kind of relief for the farmers is set to cross ₹2 lakh crore this year," said the Prime Minister addressing the leaders and members of the cooperatives from across the country at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

Co-op based economy

For the cooperative movement in the country, Modi recalled the foundations laid by Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. "Cooperation is the medium for self-reliance for villages. In order to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self reliant India), it is very important that villages become atmanirbhar (self-reliant)," Modi said, adding that the government was moving on the path shown by Gandhi and Sardar to build model cooperative village. "Six such villages of Gujarat have been identified, where all activities will be completely through cooperative systems," he said, giving examples of the success of Amul (dairy cooperative) and Lijjat Papad (women cooperative of papad production). He stated the government aims to encourage an economic model in the country that is based on cooperatives.

Liquid nano urea

He stated that the liquid nano urea will play a a significant step in empowering the farmers with reduced costs and increased productivity. Till date IFFCO has produced 3.6 crore bottles of nano urea out of which 2.5 crore bottles have already been sold to the farmers across the country.

Dr US Awasthi, MD, IFFCO said that liquid nano urea has been found to be very effective in increasing the nutritional quality and productivity of the crops and has a huge positive impact on the quality of underground water and environment, thus, resulting in significant reduction in the global warming. IFFCO Nano Urea (Liquid) was indigenously developed through the proprietary technology at IFFCO’s Nano Biotechnology Research Centre (NBRC) in Kalol, Gujarat .The first IFFCO Nano Urea (liquid) production unit at Kalol has been made with an investment of ₹175 crore with the capacity to produce 1.5 lakh bottles of 500 ml nano urea per day.

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