Farmers have always been the backbone of India’s economy and the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is striving to strengthen Indian farming through innovative and concrete measures in the fertilizer sector with the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.

Structural changes in this sector are crucial for achieving this vision, as 45.6% of our workers are employed in the agriculture sector. With ‘Kisan Kalyan’ in mind, the government is launching crucial initiatives so that farmers get fertilizers and other inputs at cheaper rates under a single roof, adopt new technologies to enhance their farm production and are able to earn higher incomes.

With these objectives, Prime Minister Modi is going to launch two important initiatives for our farmers. The first, called the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhhi Kendra (PMKSK) scheme, will have one-of-a-kind ‘model fertilizer retail shops’ that shall offer various facilities under a single roof.

The second, the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana, with the slogan ‘One Nation, One Fertiliser’, shall have a single brand, Bharat, for all types of major fertilizers.

As many as 600 kendras (centres) under the PMKSK scheme will function as ‘one-stop shops’ for farmers to access quality agri-inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and pesticides all at reasonable prices under one roof. In addition, pesticides, insecticides, seeds and small farm implements such as spades, sickles, sprayers, etc, shall also be available at these centres. The scheme also aims to provide linkages to custom hiring centres for the hiring of large or small farm equipment, including drones for spraying farms with liquid fertilizers and pesticides.

These Kendras will also provide an interactive platform for knowledge sharing to create awareness among farmers on the latest and best agriculture technology and practices, as well as on the balanced use of fertilizers. Under the PMKSK, not only will the country’s existing 330,000 fertilizer shops be converted into Kendras, new outlets would be set up.

At the village level, Kendras will aid farmers with crop literature, soil fertility maps, messages from government authorities and data on the stock position of fertilizers, subsidies, marked retail prices, etc. In addition to facilities at the village level, tehsil level Kendras will have facilities like 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 sample collection unit for seed and pesticide testing, custom hiring facilities for sprayers, dusters and drones, and information on mandi wholesale prices and weather conditions. District-level Kendras will have all facilities at a larger scale, with the entire product range showcased, enlarged seating capacity, testing facilities for soil, seeds, water and pesticides, and a common service centre.

To empower retailers with information under the PMKSK, the training of retailers will be conducted every six months. Agricultural scientists and agriculture experts will also be engaged for training retailers on topics such a balanced use of fertilizers, which needs to be promoted, while knowledge on the application and advantages of organic fertilizers, bio-fertilizers and new-age fertilizer solutions such as nano fertilizers, etc, shall be shared with retailers on a regular basis.

Success stories of farm progress shall also be widely shared with farmers, in addition to updates on advancements in agriculture inputs and new innovative agricultural technologies, apart from routine weather forecasts, timely pest infestation warnings, etc .

The PM Jan Urvarak Pariyojana, can also effect positive change. The use of a single brand, Bharat, will go with a common bag design across the country. So we will have Bharat urea, Bharat DAP, Bharat MOP, Bharat NPK, and so on. The rationale is that since fertilizers of a particular category must meet the nutrient-content specifications of the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), there is no product differentiation among different brands for each type of fertilizer. For example, DAP should have same nutrient content, whether it is produced by one company or another. So the concept of ‘One Nation, One Fertiliser’ will help farmers overcome their confusion over brand-specific choices, as all DAP fertilizer brands must have 18% nitrogen and 46% phosphorus. Farmers are generally unaware of this fact and prefer certain brands as a result of vigorous marketing strategies adopted by firms with strong retailer networks developed over time. It has been found that such brand preferences have resulted in fertilizer-supply delays to farmers and an extra burden on the exchequer due to increased freight subsidy needing to be paid for the long-distance crisscross movement of fertilizers.

India has achieved significant milestones in agricultural production and productivity to ensure food and nutrition security to a population of one billion plus. The spectacular success of attaining self-reliance has been supported by the timely supply of quality agri-inputs like fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, weedicides, etc.

The objective of both the initiatives, the PMKSK and ‘One Nation, One Fertilizer’, is to maximize farm production by ensuring easy availability of fertilizers and other agri services to farmers at affordable prices and to promote balanced nutrient application, which is essential for sustained agricultural growth as well as the prosperity of the farmers.