PM Modi to launch urea bags under single brand called ‘Bharat’ on Monday

Vibha Sharma

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New Delhi, October 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday launch subsidised urea bags under single brand ‘Bharat’ as part of the ‘One Nation, One Fertiliser’ scheme. The PM will also release the 12th instalment of Rs 16,000 crore to beneficiary farmers and inaugurate 600 PM Kisan Samruddhi Kendras as part of the “PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022”—an event jointly organisedby Agriculture and Chemicals and Fertlisersministries.

Briefing mediapersons, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said all subsidised soil nutrients — urea, Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), Muriate of Potash (MoP) and NPK — will be marketed under a single brand ’Bharat’ across the nation.

“The PM will inaugurate 600 PM Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PM-KSK) of Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry and will launch Bharat Urea Bags—India’s biggest move in fertilisers-One Nation One Fertiliser Scheme—for farmers,” he said.

Tomar said the government is making it mandatory for companies to market subsidised fertilisers under ‘Bharat’ brand as part of ONOF scheme of the Fertiliser and Chemicals Ministry to prevent criss-cross movement of fertilisers and reduce high freight subsidy.

According to officials, around 177 fertiliser manufacturers will sell their assorted products under the single brand name.

Retail shops will be converted into PM-KSK, whichwill act as a one-stop-shop providing multiple services to the farmers.At present, fertiliser retail shops in the country are company managed, cooperative shops or retailed to private dealers.

Tomar said the government plans to convert at least one retail shop at each district level to a model shop.

The plan is to convert 3,30,449 retail fertiliser shops into PM-KSK.

The PM-KSK will not only supply agri-inputs like seeds, fertilisers and farm implements, but also provide testing facilities for soil, seeds and fertilisers, besides information about government schemes, he said.

The PM will also release the 12th installment amount of Rs 16,000 crore to over 8.5 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme of the agriculture ministry.

With this, the total amount transferred to the beneficiaries is expected to cross well over Rs 2.16 crore, Tomar said. Under the PM-KISAN, eligible farmers are provided a benefit of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each, every four months.

The PM will also unveil an international weekly fertiliser e-magazine called ’Indian Edge’and inaugurate an agri-startup conclave and exhibition at the event organised jointly by Agriculture and Fertilizer Ministries.

About 300 startups will showcase their innovation related to precision farming, post-harvest and value addition solutions, mechanisation for small farmers, agri-logistics on the first day.

The platform would facilitate startups to interact with farmers, farmer producer organisations, agri experts and corporates.

More than one crore farmers are expected to join the event virtually from across the country,officials said.