Subsidy on fertilizers may be 2.5 lakh crores

The Center on Monday asserted that the availability of fertilizer during the current Kharif season is more than the estimated demand. The Center further said that strict action will be taken against hoarding of nutrients to be put in the soil. It has asked the states to keep a watch on the movement of fertilizers.

The Center has asked the states to provide correct information to the farmers so that they do not have any doubts about the availability of fertilizers. According to an official statement, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya jointly chaired a review meeting on the status of fertilizers with agriculture ministers of states and union territories.

During this, Mandaviya said that there is no problem with the availability of other fertilizers including Urea, DAP and NPK and at present there is more stock for supply relative to demand. He said the Center has been successful in keeping the prices of fertilizers low by increasing subsidies, despite the pandemic and the rise in international raw material prices.