Question : PROMOTION OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

(a) whether the Government is encouraging production of organic fertilizers and provides financial assistance under National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) for the purpose;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the details of assistance provided by the Government during each of the last three years and the current year under NPOF to various States including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha;

(d) the number of farmers benefited from such assistance during the said period, State/ UT-wise; and

(e) the details of various steps taken/ being taken by the Government to increase the production of organic fertilizers in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) & (b): Government is promoting production of organic fertilizers in the country through various programmes under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Network Project on Organic Farming under ICAR.

Under Soil Health Management (SHM) component of NMSA, financial assistance up 33% of financial outlay, subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs.63.00 lakhs for establishment of agro/vegetable waste compost production units, and 25% of financial outlay subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs.40.00 lakh for biofertiliser production units, is provided as back-ended subsidy through NABARD. And also, financial assistance upto 50% of cost subject to a limit of Rs.5,000/- per hectare and Rs.10,000/- per beneficiary is provided for promotion of organic inputs including organic fertilizers.

(c) & (d): Assistance has been provided for 42 biofertiliser production units and 16 agro/vegetable waste compost production units under the scheme. State-wise details production units are given in Annexure-I. The details of subsidy released in the country through NABARD under Capital Investment Subsidy Schemes (CISS) is given in Annexure II. The area brought under use of biofertilizer is given in Annexure-III.

(e): The ICAR has developed technologies to prepare various types or organic manures such as phosphocompost, vermin compost, bio-enriched compost, municipal solid waste compost etc. from various organic wastes. Improved and efficient strains of biofertilizers specific to different crops and soil types are being developed under Network Project on Soil Biodiversity – Biofertilizers being operated in 14 different States. Liquid biofertilizer technology with high shelf life has also been developed.