To provide quality fertilizers and for hiring of farming equipment in the country, Minister of State for Planning (IC) and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh informed that during Budget 2016-17, it was announced that over a period of three years, 2000 Model Fertilizer Retail Shops would be opened across the country. The target has been achieved and 2044 Model Fertilizer Retail Shops have been made operational.
Model Fertilizer Retail Shops provide mandatory services like selling of quality fertilizers at genuine rates, soil testing, seed testing, promotion of balanced use of nutrients etc. Some optional services are also provided through these shops like hiring of equipment such as tractors, laser evelers, rotavator, crop harvester and thrashers, hiring of sprayers, sale of small implements like spades and sickles etc.
Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of such shops, the number being 366, followed by Andhra Pradesh (299) and Gujrat (214).
