Fertilizer Scenario (2019-20):

• World’s first Nano urea liquid is developed by IFFCO on 1 June, 2021 (Nano Urea liquid contains 40,000 PPM of nitrogen in a 500 ml bottle which is equivalent to the impact of nitrogen nutrient provided by one bag of conventional Nano urea costs Rs.240 per 500 ml bottle).
• The total consumption of fertilizers in India in 2018-19 is 04 million metric tonne (MMT) (N: 18.80mmt; P2O5: 7.54 million; K2O: 2.70 mmt)

• The NPK use ratio in India in 2019-20 is 0:2.8:1
• The optimum use of NPK ratio is 4:2:1
• The per hectare consumption of fertilizers in India during 2019- 20 is 9 kg/ha
• The per ha consumption of fertilizers is highest in Bihar (245.25 Kg/ha) > Puducherry (244.77 Kg/ha)
• The per ha consumption of fertilizers is lowest in Kerala (36.49 Kg/ha) followed by Jammu & Kashmir (40.85 kg/ha).

• The total production of NP fertilizers in India during 2019-20 is 51 million MT(N fertilizer- 13.72 million MT, P fertilizer- 4.79 million MT)

• The production of Urea in India is 46 million MT; DAP- 4.55 MMT; SSP-4.24 MMT; NP/NPKs: 8.66MMTs
• The total Import of fertilizers during 2019-20 is 55 million MT (Urea- 9.12 m MT, DAP-4.87 m MT, NP/NPK- 0.75 MT & MOP- 3.67 MT)

• The most imported fertilizer is Potash from Jordan and
• India ranks third in fertilizer production and second in consumption (China is first in fertilizer consumption)
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by PM recently given its approval for the formulation of exclusive subsidy policy for Urea produced through coal gasification route by Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL), Odisha.
• Fertilizer Control order- 1985
• Neem Coated Urea
• Incorporated as regular fertilizer in 2010
• Department of Fertilizers had made it mandatory for all the domestic producers of urea to produce 100% as Neem Coated Urea in the year- May 2015
• Government of India has introduced 45 kg bag of urea in place of 50 kg bag of urea in order to reduce the consumption of urea in the year– 4th September, 2017 (DBT in 2018)
• The basic retail price of Urea is 5360 per tone
• The basic retail price of 45kg Neem Coated Urea bag is 242 per bag

Agriculture Current Affairs 2021 For Competitive Exams

Note: Government is providing Rs 900 per bag subsidy on urea fertilizer; While on DAP Rs.1200 per 50 kg bag. (Govt. spends 80,000 crore on subsidies for chemical fertilizers).

• New Urea policy-2015: the government allowed the urea producers to produce up to 100% of production as Neem coated
  • 100 % Neem Coated production of urea made mandatory on 2015.
• Nutrient Based Subsidy: scheme started in the Year 1 April, 2010.
  • Where a fixed rate of subsidy is announced on nutrients. The NBS covers three macro nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) and one secondary nutrient (Sulphur).

Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme:

(Source: Fertilizer Association of India (FAI):2019-20)

Pesticide consumption scenario (2019-20): v Total registered pesticides in India (2019-20) are 292

• Government of India banned 27 pesticides in May 2020 (Insecticides-12, Herbicides- 7, Fungicides- 8)
• Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB & RC)- To facilitate the registration of safe, efficacious and quality pesticides for domestic use and
• The major pesticides applications are found in Rice and Cotton crops (1st Paddy, 2nd Cotton)
• The top pesticide consumption states in India are Maharashtra (12,783 MT) and Uttar Pradesh (12, 217 MT) accounting to 40% of pesticide consumption in India (61,702 MT).
• The least pesticide consumption state in India is Goa (30 MT).

• The total consumption of bio-pesticides at the national level stood at 8,847 MT in 2019-20 (Maharashtra was the major consumer with 1,082 MT in 2019-20).
• The total number of Central Integrated Pest Management Centres (CIPMCs) across the country are (Source: cibrc.nic.in)
• Locust control operations have been done in 66 lakh ha area in 10 states (severe in Rajasthan and Gujarat)
• India became the first country in the world to use Drones for Locust control after finalizing the protocols and standard operating procedure.

• Locust Warning Organization (LWO) headquarter is located at Faridabad, Haryana
• According to a study published in Nature Geoscience 64% of the arable land is at risk due to pesticide

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