Centre to unveil fertiliser policy soon: Minister

The Centre will soon come out with a national fertiliser policy, which will focus on a host of key issues and a task force would be formed to prepare the policy, Union Fertilisers and Chemicals Minister Ananth Kumar said on Friday.

“I am going to form a task force to formulate the new fertiliser policy because, we don't have a fertiliser policy. India requires a national fertiliser policy which includes the use of bio-fertilisers, organic fertilisers and micro- nutrients also,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

The proposed policy would consider issues like soil health and balanced treatment of the fertiliser to the soil, he said.

“I think it (policy announcement) will require some time. First let me form the task force. The task force will happen in a couple of weeks.”

Replying to a query, Kumar said he has taken up with the Petroleum Minister the issue of gas allocation for fertiliser industry and that a positive response has come.

“I had a couple of meetings with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhanji regarding more gas allocation for fertiliser industry. Actually, we require 46 mmscmd gas for urea production,” he said.