Fertilizer use Related Government Initiatives? : UPSC Daily Important Topic | 16 April 2023

Fertilizer use Related Government Initiatives?

✓Nano Urea Production:

Eight new nano urea plants, which are being centrally monitored, will start production by November 2025.

These are located in several states, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

✓Neem Coating of Urea:

The Department of Fertilizers (DoF) has made it mandatory for all the domestic producers to produce 100% urea as Neem Coated Urea (NCU), to Improve soil health, Reduce usage of plant protection chemicals etc.

✓New urea policy 2015

Objectives of the policy are,

🌲To maximize indigenous urea production.

🌲To promote energy efficiency in the urea units.

🌲To rationalize the subsidy burden on the Government of India.

✓New Investment Policy- 2012:

The Government announced New Investment Policy (NIP)-2012 in January, 2013 and made amendments in 2014 to facilitate fresh investment in the urea sector and to make India self-sufficient in the urea sector.

✓Policy on Promotion of City Compost:

The Government of India approved a policy on promotion of City Compost, notified by the DoF in 2016 granting Market Development Assistance of Rs. 1500/- for scaling up production and consumption of city compost.

✓Use of Space Technology in Fertilizer Sector:

DoF commissioned a three year Pilot Study on “Resource Mapping of Rock Phosphate using Reflectance Spectroscopy and Earth Observations Data” by National Remote Sensing Centre under ISRO, in collaboration with Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Atomic Mineral Directorate (AMD).

✓The nutrients based subsidy

It has been implemented from April 2010 by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers’ Department of Fertilizers.

Under NBS, a fixed amount of subsidy decided on an annual basis, is provided on each grade of subsidized Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers depending on its nutrient content.