Question : USE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

(a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme/policy to promote the use of organic fertilizers by the farmers in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the percentage rise in the use of organic fertilizers registered under those schemes; and

(c) the amount of expenditure incurred by the Union Government on the promotion and expansion programmes of bio-fertilizers during the last three years and the current year?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI TARIQ ANWAR)

(a): The Government is promoting use of organic fertilizers in the country through various schemes like National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH), and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY).

(b): Under the Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) of NPOF, the Government is providing financial assistance for setting up of organic inputs production units as back-ended subsidy through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to the tune of 33% restricted to Rs. 60.00 lakh for setting up of Fruit/Vegetable market Waste/Agro-waste compost units and 25% restricted to 40.00 lakh for setting up of Biofertilisers production /Bio-pesticides production units.

Government is also supporting financial assistance under National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH), for setting up of vermi-compost units @ 50% of the cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 30,000/- per beneficiary.

Similar norms of assistance are applicable for assistance given under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY).

To improve the quality standrads of biofertilisers and organic fertilizers, Government has notified the seven Biofertilzers (e.g. Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Phosphorous Solublising Microorganism, Mycorrhiza, Potassium Mobilizing Biofertilzers, Zinc Solubilising Bacteria) and organic fertilizers [like vermicompost, City waste compost, De-oiled castor cake and PROM (Phosphate Rich Organic Manures)] in Fertilizer Control Order-1985.

The total production capacity of organic fertilizers and use under the scheme National Project on Organic Farming during the last three year is given below:

Year	Production and use of organic fertilizer (MT)	Year wise total	Cumulative total
2009-10	89433	89433
2010-11	121800	211233
2011-12	37800	249033

Year	(Rs. in lakh)
2009-10	84.03
2010-11	72.20
2011-12	43.29
2012-13	45.00