National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) organised a Brainstorming Session (BSS) to develop a roadmap for achieving Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in fertilizers, with participation from government departments, academia, fertilizer industry and farmers.
India’s Fertilizer Sector: Current Status & Challenges
- Total fertilizer (N+P₂O₅+K₂O) consumption: 93 million tonnes in 2024-25
- Fertilizer use intensity: 151 kg/ha
- Fertilizer consumption ratio: 3:3.5:1– highly skewed towards Nitrogen (N)
- Fertilizer subsidy burden: ~Rs 1.71 lakh crore in 2024-25
- ~80% of natural gas used in urea production is imported
- India remains heavily import-dependent for Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K)
Low Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE):
- Crops utilise only 30–50% of applied Nitrogen, 15–25% of Phosphorus and 50–60% of Potassium
- Remainder lost through leaching, runoff, volatilisation or soil fixation causing soil and water degradation
Key Recommendations from Session
Multi-Pronged Strategy with Short, Medium and Long-Term R&D Goals:
- Development of smart alternate fertilizers
- Utilisation of unexploited indigenous minerals– Glauconite, Phosphate rocks, Mica, Polyhalite
- Use of industrial by-products as nutrient sources
- Increased use of biologicals and exploiting soil microbiome potential
- Improved composting techniques
- Crop breeding for enhanced Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE)
- Precision nutrient management integrating fertilizers and organics
- Soil health restoration, crop diversification and residue recycling
Mission Mode Programme: INSAM:
- Launch of a dedicated mission for Integrated Nutrient Supply and Management (INSAM)
- Goal: replace at least 25% of current mineral fertilizer use with organic manures in the next 3 years
- Aggressive technology transfer using AI platform Bharat VISTAAR for large-scale digital outreach
Strategic Significance
- Recent West Asia developments are a wake-up call to rethink India’s fertilizer import dependence
- Self-reliance in fertilizers is critical for food security, fiscal sustainability and agricultural resilience
- Strengthening extension services to focus on efficient fertilizer use rather than merely increasing consumption