Farmers will soon be able to buy non-urea and complex fertilisers such as di-ammonium phosphate and muriate of potash (MOP) in smaller packs of 5 and 10 kg At present, the fertiliser complexes are sold in conventional bags of 50 kg each.
The Fertiliser Ministry has recently allowed the sale of non-urea fertilisers – DAP, MOP, complexes, fortified fertilisers and customised fertilisers in smaller packs of 5 kg, 10 kg, 25 kg and 40 kg besides the conventional bag size of 50 kg.
The latest move is in response to the demands from various quarters as a sharp rise in non-urea fertiliser prices had led to decline in sales and an imbalance in consumption. It is also expected to encourage the balanced fertiliser application and promote the fertiliser use in low consumption and in-accessible areas.
The prices of non-urea fertiliser have shot up by a third since Rabi 2011 tracking global prices and a weaker currency. The retail prices of DAP have increased by almost a third to Rs 24,000 a tonne from Rs 18,200 a tonne. The MOP prices have shot up to Rs 17,000 a tonne from Rs 12,000 a tonne. The farm gate prices of single super phosphate has also soared from Rs 4,800 to Rs 7,800 and that of 10:26:26, a popular complex fertiliser, from Rs 16,000 to Rs 22,000 a tonne.