Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda said, by 2023 India will be self-reliant in the production of fertilizers. This will be under the “AtmaNirbhar Bharat” program. New fertilizer manufacturing units are being set up with an investment of Rs. 40,000 crores. This will reduce India’s dependency on imports.
Gowda was addressing a webinar on “Self-Reliant India and Sustainable Agriculture”. It was organized by IFFCO for the farmers of Karnataka. He stated, “This is as per Narendra Modi’s AtmaNirbhar Bharat vision to promote indigenous industries. We are converting all fertilizer companies to gas-based technology. Recently there was a revival of four urea plants in India. By 2023 we have to become self-sufficient in the production of Fertilizers.”
According to the Union Minister, Gowda, the Government is encouraging the production of organic and Nano fertilizers in the country. They are now 25 to 30 percent cheaper and gives 18 to 35 percent higher yield. This also keeps the soil in good health. He also lauded the IFFCO’s Nano experiment. He calls it a game-changer. Gowda informs that the Nano fertilizers given freely to 12,000 farmers and agriculture universities across the country have given positive feedback.
He also requested the farmers to use urea judiciously as excessive use of urea may spoil the health.
He also praised the efforts of IFFCO during the COVID-19 pandemic period. They were keeping a regular supply of fertilizers. The IFFCO was also organizing campaigns by distributing masks, sanitizers, and hand gloves to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Railway Department is also playing an important role in the timely supply of fertilizers.
More than 1500 farmers took part in the Webinar. The Managing Director of IFFCO, Marketing Director, Yogendra Kumar, and many others were present in the Webinar.
