Minister of State for Ministry of Road
Transport & Highways, Shipping and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri
Mansukh L. Mandaviya, while giving a written reply to a question on benefits of
Neem Coated Urea in Rajya Sabha today, said that the Department of Agriculture,
Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) conducted a study to determine the impact of
Neem Coated Urea
that clearly demonstrates the benefits of the of the scheme, as detailed ahead.
Shri Mandaviya informed that the interim
report prepared by Agricultural Development and Rural Transformation Centre (ADRTC), Bengaluru has been submitted by
Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DACFW). The brief findings of the study are as follows:
·
Improvement
in soil health;
·
Reduction
in costs with respect to plant protection chemicals;
·
Reduction
in pest and disease attack;
·
An
increase in yield of paddy, sugarcane, maize, soybean and tur/red
gram to an extent of 5.79%, 17.5%, 7.14%, 7.4% and 16.88% respectively;
·
Diversion
of highly subsidized urea towards non-agricultural
purposes negligible among farmers after the introduction of the mandatory
policy of production and distribution of only Neem coated urea.
The Minister said that the availability
of Urea during 2015-16 and in the current year is more
than the requirement and sales. Further, some State
Governments have reduced their requirement which was initially projected. There is no report of shortages received from any of the State
Government. It is, therefore, perceived that Neem Coating
of Urea has helped in curbing the diversion.
The details of consumption of urea
during the last three years is as under:
|
Year
|
Urea
|
|
|
Kharif
|
Rabi
|
Total
|
Kg/Hectare
|
|
2014015
|
141.67
|
164.63
|
306.10
|
152.53
|
|
2015-16
|
152.70
|
153.64
|
306.35
|
149.61
|
|
2016-17
|
143.64 *
|
Not
finalized Yet
|
|
|
*
Estimated
|
The figures regarding production and yield
is as under:
|
Year
|
Area
(Million
Hectares)
|
Production
(MT)
|
Yield
(Kg/Hectare)
|
|
2010-11
|
126.67
|
244.49
|
1930
|
|
2011-12
|
124.75
|
259.29
|
2078
|
|
2012-13
|
120.78
|
257.13
|
2129
|
|
2013-14
|
125.04
|
265.04
|
2120
|
|
2014-15
|
124.30
|
252.02
|
2028
|
|
2015-16
|
123.22
|
251.57
|
2042
|
|
2016-17 *
|
126.48
|
271.98
|
2150
|
|
*
Second Advance Estimates
|
|
Source: Directorate
of Economics & Statistics
|
Giving a background of the Neem Coating
of urea in the country, the Minister informed that on 2nd June 2008,
the Government had notified the policy for encouraging production and
availability of fortified and coated fertilizers in the country wherein the
indigenous manufacturers/producers of the subsidized
fertilizers were allowed to produce fortified/coated
subsidized fertilizers up to a maximum of 20% of their
total production of respective subsidized fertilizers. This
ceiling of production of Neem Coated Urea(NCU) was increased from the limit of 20% to a
maximum of 35% of their total production vide notification
dated 11th January, 2011.
Shri Mandaviya said that the Government,
on 24th March, 2015 made mandatory for all the indigenous producers
of urea to produce 75% of their total production of
subsidized urea as Neem Coated Urea. Subsequently,
on 25th May 2015, Department of Fertilizers made it mandatory for
all the domestic producers of urea to produce 100% as Neem Coated Urea with an extra MRP of 5% (of Rs. 5360/- per
MT) to be charged by the fertilizer manufacturing entities
from farmers. Entire quantity of indigenously produced
urea and imported urea is being neem coated w.e.f 1st September, 2015 and 1st December,
2015 respectively.
Also, the Minister stated that the
P&K fertilizer companies have reduced the MRP of MOP, DAP and NPK by Rs
5000/MT, Rs 2500/MT and Rs 1000/MT respectively in the month of June 2016 and again Rs 1300/MT for DAP in the month of December, 2016 and it seems that the
reduction of prices of P&K fertilizers will encourage the farmers to use
more P&K fertilizers which will help the balanced use of fertilizers.
VM/RU-2601
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