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Sanjiv Kanwar, Managing Director, Yara South Asia | Photo Credit: KSL
Deficiency of organic carbon in soil is a major issue which can be tackled through a comprehensive crop nutrient management programme along with organic minerals and biostimulants as there is no one solution that can be applied everywhere, said Sanjiv Kanwar, Managing Director, Yara South Asia, while releasing the company’s Sustainability Report 2024.
About the major deficiency in the organic carbon in soil, he said the situation can be changed only through balanced crop nutrition – application of right amount of right nutrients at the right time. In India, use of nitrogen (N) is more, phosphate (P) is less, potash (K) is very less, mainly due to selling price factor, which is decided by government policy.
Asked whether application of complex fertilizers (combination of N, P, K) and biostimulants is the answer for improving organic carbon, he said a combination of three-balanced crop nutrition, organic mineral and biostimulants are needed at the farm.
Yara India, a subsidiary of Norwegian multinational Yara International, in the report highlighted its ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, inclusive growth, and agricultural transformation through innovative and sustainable practices. The report captures the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance across its operations in its manufacturing plant in Babrala, Uttar Pradesh, and community initiatives under Kiran.
Kanwar said that over 650,000 farmers have been reached out through agronomy sessions and digital platforms like FarmCare and YaraConnect, which was possible through its partnership with 147 farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
“Shift to rail transport reduced carbon emissions and saved over $205,000 in logistics costs. Similarly, we reused 967 million litres of water, afforested 7.4 acres in 2024, and confident of achieving the 70,000 t CO₂ reduction in emissions target by 2026,” he said.
Speaking about the report, he said: “Sustainability is not just an initiative. From building resilient farming communities to transforming how food is grown and delivered, Yara India is committed to creating lasting value. The report reflects our focus on empowering smallholder farmers, advancing women in agriculture, and scaling innovations that support a nature-positive food future.”
The challenges are real, but the company resolves to address them with solutions that are inclusive, science-led, and locally rooted, he added.
The report also outlines Yara India’s forward-looking initiatives, including expanding regenerative agriculture, adopting vessel-based shipping to further reduce its carbon footprint, and accelerating the adoption of biostimulants and digital technologies.
Later, he told businessline that due to higher gas efficiency, carbon emissions are decreasing in urea production and the company is hopeful to reach the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 70,000 tonnes by 2028-29. On water consumption, he said Yara is looking to achieve water neutrality at the plant by the end of the decade. Through solar power generation, the company is able to save substantial power generated through conventional sources.
On the Centre’s recently notified standards for bio-stimulants, he said though there are positives like something has come when there was nothing earlier, but there are also negatives.
“Now for every bio-stimulant, you have to go through two or three trials. Then its report will be made. Then, it will go to the Ministry of Agriculture for evaluation. If the report is not correct, it will be rejected. Then you will have to go again for trials. So, this is a time-consuming process,” he pointed out.
As bio-stimulants are one of the most innovative products, with very specialised crop-specific, area-specific, temperature-specific ones, stringent regulation is going to delay innovation, he said and suggested the government to fix such a standard, in which minimum nutrient what is needed and maximum contaminant are prescribed. “Once parameters are fixed, one doesn’t have to go to the government or local authorities to get approval again and again,” he said.
Published on June 17, 2025
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