IFFCO Launches Nano Fertilizer Usage Promotion Campaign, Offering Subsidies to Farmers in 800 Villages

To promote the use of nano fertilizers, the Nano Fertilizer Usage Promotion Mahaabhiyan was launched by IFFCO on 1st July 2024. Under this, 200 model nano village clusters have been selected by IFFCO. Through this, farmers of 800 villages are being given a subsidy of 25 percent on the price (MRP)  of Nano Urea Plus, Nano DAP and Sagarika by IFFCO so that farmers can use nano fertilizers more and more in their fields. Along with this, IFFCO will give a grant of Rs 100 per acre to the drone entrepreneur so that farmers can get the facility of spraying at low rates. Farmers will be made aware of the increase in the quality and production of the crop in these model nano villages.

Prime Minister has also launched a 100-day action plan to increase the use of nano fertilizers in agriculture, under which 1270 demonstrations of Nano DAP (liquid) will be conducted in 413 districts and 200 trials of Nano Urea Plus (liquid) in 100 districts. In these trials the help of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, State Agricultural University and other research institutions will be taken and monitored by the Government of India.

Nano fertilizers will be made available by IFFCO to the cooperative society and other sales outlets.  Farmers will be told about the benefits of nano fertilizers. IFFCO is providing 2500 agricultural drones for farmers to spray nano fertilizers, for which 300 'Namo Drone Didi' and drone entrepreneurs have been prepared. Apart from this, other types of sprayers have also been made available through which farmers will be able to easily spray nano fertilizers in their fields. Contracts have been made with 15 institutions to spray 245 lakh acres of area by drones which will spray in the fields of farmers. An incentive of Rs 100 per acre will also be provided on each spray.

From August 2021 to June 26, 2024, a total of 7.55 crore Nano Urea and 0.69 crore Nano DAP bottles produced by IFFCO have been used by farmers. In order to provide maximum benefit to the farmers, IFFCO has set a target of producing 4 crore Nano Urea Plus and 2 crore Nano DAP bottles in the year 2024-25. In this sequence, from April 2024, IFFCO has made available Nano Urea Plus (liquid) 20% w/v N of high concentration to the farmers, which will help in increasing quality crop productivity and environmental protection.

Under this campaign, IFFCO has also planned publicity, field testing, training of secretaries of cooperative societies etc. in all the districts of the country. The Ministry of Fertilizers will also collaborate to implement this scheme so that the use of nano fertilizers in place of chemical fertilizers in the fields can be encouraged. Under this mega campaign, it has been planned to provide 6 crore bottles of nano fertilizers which will be distributed through 36000 member cooperative societies of IFFCO and other cooperative societies.

It will also be ensured that availability of nano fertilizers is made at each Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendras (PMKSK).  IFFCO is providing nano fertilizers to farmers by entering into marketing agreements with Indian Potash Limited (IPL), Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF), National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) etc.

In August 2021, IFFCO commercially produced the world's first indigenous nano urea based on nanotechnology, giving the whole world a great alternative to conventional urea. In March 2023, IFFCO also made nano DAP (liquid) available to farmers to reduce the use of DAP fertilizer. In view of the serious problem of environmental imbalance worldwide, there is a need to reduce the use of conventional chemical fertilizers in farming with nano fertilizers. As a result, the country can be strengthened economically and globally by realizing the concept of 'self-reliant agriculture' and 'self-reliant India' with environmental protection.

Talking about the harm caused by indiscriminate use of urea, the use efficiency of urea is less than 30 percent, more than 70 percent of the quantity in the form of gas (NOx)  harms the environment,  water pollution in the form of nitrate (NO3) and soil health in the form of ammonia (NH4+, NO3).  Conventional urea has a role to play in the high incidence of pests and diseases, crop fall and crop inability to tolerate adversity. The benefits of nano fertilizers are several such as improvement in soil health, reduction in water and air pollution, increase in crop production and quality, reduction in use of conventional fertilizers, reduction in incidence of pests and diseases; Ease of transportation and storage and environmental friendliness are the main ones.