Minister Gowda asks govt run fertiliser firms to ensure sufficient quantity during coming Rabi season

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertiliser Sadananda Gowda asked state-run fertiliser producing firms to gear up for the upcoming Rabi season, and ensure that farmers get fertiliser in adequate quantity in time.

Gowda held a review meeting with the Chairman and Managing Director of the fertiliser PSUs to take stock of their performance as well as their preparedness for the future.

He directed CMDs to chalk out a common strategy to encourage cashless transactions for the sale of fertiliser to reduce diversion and leakages of subsidies in line with the overall vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting was attended by Chhabilendra Roul, Secretary (Fertilisers) and Shri Virendra Nath Datt, CMD (National Fertilisers Limited), S C Mudgerikar, CMD (Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers Limited), Kishor Rungta, CMD (The Fertiliser And Chemicals Travancore Limited), U Saravanan, CMD (Madras Fertilisers Limited), A K Ghosh, CMD (Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Limited) and Amar Singh Rathore, CMD (FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals India Limited).

While appreciating the works of the companies in supplying fertiliser during the Covid-19 pandemic, Gowda said, "Because of efforts of domestic companies and proactiveness of officers of Department of Fertiliser, there was no shortage of urea in the country, even when demand for urea shot up due to better than expected rainfall and a substantial increase in area under farming Kharif season."

The Minister also stressed the need for PSUs to become self-sustainable and said that in the future, PSUs should not depend upon budgetary support from the Government of India.

"The need of the hour is to go for diversification of product basket, development of new products such as nano-fertilisers and customized fertiliser, technology up-gradation and if necessary, through revamping of existing plants if they have to sustain in future, and compete with the private sector and imported fertilisers," he said.

Roul, Secretary (Fertilisers) said that fertiliser PSUs should also continuously make efforts to strengthen their disaster management plan.

During the meeting, CMDs gave brief about the performance of their respective PSUs in the current financial year, and highlighted investment made for technological up-gradation and revamping of their plants to increase their sustainability, the statement said.