‘One Nation, One Fertiliser’ plan to be rolled out in Oct

New Delhi, August 27

The Union Government will roll out the “One Nation, One Fertiliser” (ONOF) initiative during the forthcoming rabi season in October to streamline the delivery system and root out unwarranted, but recurring expenditure by way to freight to companies.

The initiative seeks to put a check on the needless “criss-cross movement” of fertilisers, which are transported to distant places, including far-flung area in other states from their factory gates.

The ONOF programme will be implemented across the country from October starting with urea and later crop nutrients di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) or muriate of potash (MOP) will be sold under a single brand name, ‘Bharat’, Minister for Chemical and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya said today.

The initiative fits into Prime Minister’s call for “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” themes as it is aimed to bring in equity and clarity among the stakeholders, and also ring in uniformity and punctuality in sale and timely supply of fertilisers to farming communities. In the last financial year, the Centre incurred a fertiliser subsidy bill of Rs 1.62 lakh crore. In view of a sharp rise in global prices in the last 5-6 months, the government’s subsidy bill is estimated to rise to Rs 2.25 lakh crore in the current fiscal.

Explaining the logic for introducing this scheme, Mandaviya said the government subsidises 80 per cent of the retail price of urea, 65 per cent of DAP, 55 per cent of NPKs and 31 per cent of Muriate of Potash (MoP) prices. Freight subsidy is also provided in the range of Rs 6,000-9,000 crore annually. Although the specifications of fertilisers manufactured are the same, the products are manufactured and marketed under different brands, he said.