Subsidised fertilisers get 'Bharat' tag now

Seed Of Self-Reliance

- It's mandatory for cos to market subsidized fertilisers under Bharat brand

- 22 crore soil health cards, over 1,700 varieties of seeds provided to farmers

- The move will help increase crop productivity

- With modern technology, govt reducing gap between farm fields and markets

- PM vows to make India self-reliant and reduce import dependence

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched subsidised urea under single brand 'Bharat' as part of One Nation, One Fertiliser scheme and inaugurated 600 Kisan Samruddhi Kendras, saying these two reforms will boost availability and ensure quality fertilisers. Modi also unveiled international weekly fertiliser e-magazine 'Indian Edge' at the event PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 organised jointly by agriculture and fertiliser ministries.

The Centre has started a new scheme - Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan UrvarakPariyojana - One Nation One Fertilizer (ONOF) - under which it is mandatory for companies to market subsidisedfertiliser under single brand 'Bharat'.

The PM expressed concern over the huge edible oil and fertilisers import bill, which is putting pressure on the exchequer, saying it is time to work in mission mode to make India self-reliant and reduce import dependence.He also released the 12th installment of Rs16,000 crore under the PM KisanSamman Nidhi, which will be credited in bank accounts of almost 10 crore farmers through direct benefit transfer.

After launching the brand for the most consumed and highly subsidisedfertiliser urea, the prime minister said branding subsidisedfertilisers to ensure quality is a major reform undertaken by the government. Farmers are in "illusion and confused" about fertiliser brands and are not getting the quality soil nutrients because at one hand retailers are pushing certain brands for want of higher commission and on the other hand companies run advertisement campaigns of their products, he said. Now, these problems have been resolved under ONOF, he added.

"One brand and one quality of urea will be sold across the nation. This brand would be 'Bharat.' Now urea will be available in the brand name of Bharat," Modi said. With single branding, the competition among companies that push their brands will get reduced. It will also ensure sufficient supply of fertilisers across the country, he added.

Farmers will get cheap and quality crop nutrient under 'One nation, One fertilizer' scheme. Introduction of nano urea will ease farm process as one bottle of nano urea can replace sackful of urea

--Prime Minister Modi