Question : REQUIREMENT OF FERTILIZERS

(a) whether the Government has ascertained the State-wise and month-wise requirement of major fertilizers in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether no scientific method is followed for assessing the requirement of fertilizers and the requirement is generally projected by an increase of five to ten per cent over the previous season`s/year`s requirement;

(d) if so, the reasons thereof;

(e) whether the availability of irrigation facilities, soil health and other local factors are considered to determine the requirement of fertilizers; and

(f) if so, the measures taken by the Government to determine the realisticrequirement of fertilizers?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS (SHRI SRIKANT KUMAR JENA)

(a) to (b): The Central Government assesses State-wise and month-wise requirement of fertilizers before each cropping season in Zonal conferences on Agricultural Inputs in which representatives of State Government and fertilizer industry participates. The State-wise and month-wise requirement of major fertilizers like Urea, DAP, MOP & Complex fertilizers during the current Rabi 2011-12 season are at Annexed-‘A’ to ‘D’ respectively.

(c) to (f): Requirement of fertilizers is assessed by State Governments on the basis of past consumption, weather conditions, targeted crop area, cropping pattern, area under irrigation and soil mapping etc. The State Governments have been advised to project requirement of fertilizers on scientific basis.