The Union fertiliser and agriculture ministries will launch a mega advertising campaign to explain the new urea policy to farmers.
Chemicals and fertilisers minister MK Alagiri may have objected to the Centre’s new fertiliser policy, which shows a switch to a nutrient-based approach, but his ministry will pitch in convincing the benefits of the policy to farmers.
The Union fertiliser and agriculture ministries will launch a mega advertising campaign to explain the new urea policy to farmers, a defensive measure to thwart opposition to the policy. Alagiri and railway minister Mamata Banerjee had protested when the fertiliser policy was changed despite their objections, but now they seem to have fallen in line.
The advertisement will appear both in print and electronic media. It will point out the harm large scale usage of urea can cause to agricultural land. It will also advocate famous agri-scientists’ opinions which would cite recent researches to show that crop yield will be better if less urea is added to the fertiliser.
In the campaign, the government will try to encourage farmers to go for soil testing in local agricultural laboratories to determine the exact requirement of nutrients a particular soil needs and then go for suitable fertilisers. The extensive campaign is likely to continue for at least three months starting this month.
The fertiliser industry in the country has already hailed the Centre’s move to shift from the existing product pricing regime to a nutrient-based subsidy regime as mentioned in the Union Budget 2009-10.
BD Sinha, managing director of Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (Kribhco), said, “The move to shift to a nutrient-based subsidy regime is a welcome step. This will enable the government to know the nutrient value of each fertiliser and also boost investments in the fertiliser industry.”
He however pointed out that the budget did not meet the industry’s expectation to announce a hike in fertiliser prices by about 20-25%, which would have reduced the burden on fertiliser subsidy.
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