Empowerment of farmers is essential for India’s overall prosperity

Structural changes in this sector are important to achieve this vision, as 45.6% of our workers are employed in the agriculture sector. Keeping in mind the ‘Farmer Welfare’, the government is taking important initiatives so that farmers get fertilizers and other inputs under one roof at affordable rates, adopt new technologies to increase their agricultural production and earn higher income. be able to

With these objectives, Prime Minister Modi is going to launch two important initiatives for our farmers. The first, called the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendra (PMKSK) scheme, will have one-of-a-kind ‘Model Fertilizer Retail Shops’ that will provide various facilities under one roof.

Second, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Fertilizer Project, with the slogan ‘One Nation, One Fertilizer’, will have a single brand, Bharat, for all types of major fertilizers.

At least 600 kendra(s) under PMKSK scheme will act as ‘one-stop shop’ for farmers to access quality agricultural inputs like fertilizers, seeds and pesticides at reasonable prices under one roof Can you Apart from this, pesticides, insecticides, seeds and small farm implements like spades, sickles, sprayers etc. will also be available at these centres. The objective of the scheme is to provide linkage to custom hiring centers for hiring large or small farm equipment, including drones for spraying fields with liquid fertilizers and pesticides.

These centers will also provide an interactive platform for knowledge sharing to create awareness among farmers on the latest and best agricultural technology and practices as well as balanced use of fertilisers. Under PMKSK, not only will the existing 330,000 fertilizer shops in the country be converted into centres, but new outlets will also be set up.

At the village level, the centers will assist farmers with crop literature, soil fertility maps, messages from government officials and data on stock status of fertilizers, subsidies, marked retail prices, etc. Apart from facilities at the village level, Tehsil level centers have a help desk on new age fertilizers and government schemes, a crop advisory, tele-consultation with experts, a common service centre, soil testing facility and sampling for seed and pesticide testing. There will be facilities like collection unit, custom hiring for sprayers. Information on Dusters and Drones, and Mandi wholesale prices and weather conditions. The district level centers will have all the facilities on a large scale displaying the entire product range, increased seating capacity, testing facilities for soil, seeds, water and pesticides and a common service centre.

Under PMKSK, training of retailers will be conducted every six months to empower the retailers with information. Agricultural scientists and agriculture experts will also be engaged to train retailers on topics such as balanced use of fertilizers that need to be promoted, while the application and benefits of new age fertilizer solutions like organic fertilizers, bio-fertilizers and nanotechnology. The knowledge on fertilizers etc. will be shared regularly with the retailers.

Apart from updates on progress in agricultural inputs and new innovative farming technologies apart from regular weather forecasts, timely pest outbreak warnings etc., the success stories of agricultural progress will also be shared widely with the farmers.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Fertilizer Project can also bring positive change. The single brand India will be used with a common bag design across the country. So we will have Bharat Urea, Bharat DAP, Bharat MOP, Bharat NPK etc. The rationale is that since a particular category of fertilizers must meet the nutrient-content specifications of the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), there is no product variation between different brands for each type of fertilizer. For example, DAP must contain similar nutrients, whether produced by one company or another. Hence the concept of ‘One Nation, One Fertilizer’ will help the farmers to clear their confusion over brand-specific options, as all DAP fertilizer brands must contain 18% Nitrogen and 46% Phosphorous. Farmers are generally unaware of this fact and prefer certain brands as a result of vigorous marketing strategies adopted by firms with strong retail networks developed over time. It has been observed that such brand preferences have resulted in delayed fertilizer-supply to farmers and additional burden on the exchequer due to increase in freight subsidy paid for long distance crisscross movement of fertilizers.

India has achieved significant milestones in agricultural production and productivity to ensure food and nutritional security for its population of over one billion. The stupendous success of achieving self-reliance has been supported by timely supply of quality agro-inputs like fertilizers, seeds, insecticides, weedicides etc.

Both the PMKSK and ‘One Nation, One Fertilizer’ initiatives aim to maximize agricultural production by ensuring easy availability of fertilizers and other agricultural services at affordable prices to farmers and promote application of balanced nutrients, which is essential for sustainable development. Necessary. Agriculture development as well as prosperity of farmers.

Mansukh Mandaviya is the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers as well as Health and Family Welfare, Government of India