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हिन्दी — Read in HindiInputs: fertiliser, seed, water, credit and insurance
What a farmer needs to grow a crop, and the policies that supply it.
All 6 articles shown; the 2 that changed from 1 to 31 August 2026 are marked.Show only these
Fertiliser registration and nutrient use efficiency
Copy link to Fertiliser registration and nutrient use efficiencyPrelims and Mains
New fertilisers are registered under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985: a dossier, two season bio efficacy trials by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State universities, and Central Fertiliser Committee review.
- Water soluble fertilisers have needed only general specifications since 2015.
- Urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) have the lowest nutrient use efficiency, nitrogen being lost as ammonia and as nitrate into groundwater and phosphorus locking into insoluble compounds; controlled release and water soluble fertilisers do far better.
- Under the Nutrient Based Subsidy the subsidy is fixed per nutrient and retail prices of phosphatic and potassic fertilisers follow world markets, while urea stays price controlled.
- Cheaper urea encourages excess nitrogen and unbalanced soils.
Nutrient use efficiency by fertiliser type
| Fertiliser | Share of the nutrient the crop takes up |
|---|---|
| Urea | 30 to 40 per cent |
| DAP | 15 to 25 per cent |
| Controlled release | 60 to 70 per cent |
| Water soluble | 80 to 95 per cent |
What changed
12 Jun 2026
- The fertiliser subsidy for 2026 to 2027 is set to far exceed the amount budgeted.
- The Agriculture Ministry agreed in principle to exempt fertilisers meeting quality and safety standards from mandatory field trials.
The Indian Express, 12 Jun 2026: Why government is looking to issue faster approvals for new fertilisers (opens in a new tab) · The Indian Express, 15 Jun 2026: Urea price crash opens window for reforms in India (opens in a new tab)
Punjab's paddy and its groundwater
Copy link to Punjab's paddy and its groundwaterPrelims and Mains
Paddy is a water hungry kharif crop: in Punjab it needs about 25 to 30 irrigation cycles a season.
- It has assured procurement at the minimum support price, timely payment, free electricity for irrigation and a mandi network, which cotton and maize lack.
- So with total kharif area fixed, area vacated by other crops moves to paddy.
- Nearly 80 per cent of Punjab's groundwater blocks are overexploited.
- A legume such as groundnut fixes nitrogen through root nodules, saving urea for the next crop.
Spring maize versus spring groundnut
| Spring maize | Spring groundnut | |
|---|---|---|
| Irrigations | 12 to 19 | 3 to 6 |
| Duration | 90 to 100 days | 110 to 115 days |
| Soil effect | none | fixes nitrogen, breaks pest cycles |
What changed
14 Jun 2026New
- Punjab's 2026 paddy area is expected to match or exceed its record, while cotton area fell to its lowest ever.
- Transplanting began on 1 June under a staggered three zone schedule to cut peak power demand and conserve groundwater.
- The High Court struck down the State's ban on hybrid paddy, holding that seeds notified under the Seeds Act, 1966 cannot be barred administratively.
- Hybrids yield more and mature in 125 to 130 days, saving water and giving time for stubble management.
- But seed must be bought each season, and millers allege outturn below the 67 per cent minimum.
Mains: The dispute sets productivity and water saving against seed dependence and procurement norms, and needs a science based, transparent policy.
The Indian Express, 3 Jun 2026: Why Punjab could see record paddy cultivation despite repeated diversification drives (opens in a new tab) · The Indian Express, 14 Jun 2026: Why hybrid paddy continues to divide Punjab's agricultural community (opens in a new tab)
Urea policy and the fertiliser subsidy
Copy link to Urea policy and the fertiliser subsidyPrelims and Mains
LeadUrea: a new investment policy and an old subsidy problemJuly 2026
Why in news
On 15 July 2026 the Cabinet approved the National Investment Policy for Urea, 2026, to draw investment into new gas based urea plants. In June the fertiliser subsidy for the year had been projected at double the Budget's figure, as import prices rose.
Background
- Urea is sold to farmers at a price fixed by the government, far below its cost. The Centre pays the difference to the maker or importer.
- Other fertilisers, those with phosphorus and potash, come under the Nutrient Based Subsidy, where the subsidy is fixed and the price is free to move.
- India makes about three quarters of the urea it uses and imports the rest. Most plants run on natural gas, and much of that gas is imported too.
- So the price of gas and of urea abroad passes straight into the subsidy bill.
What the new policy does
- It assures investors a return on equity within a band.
- It aims at eight or nine new plants, adding about 10 million tonnes a year, enough to close the import gap.
- It follows the policy of 2012, which brought six new plants.
Why the subsidy is a problem
- Fiscal: the bill swings with world prices and is hard to budget.
- Soil: cheap urea is overused. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potash should be applied at about 4:2:1; in practice nitrogen far exceeds that.
- Environment: excess nitrogen pollutes groundwater and gives off nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas.
- Leakage: subsidised urea is diverted to industry and across borders.
- Dependence: making urea at home still needs imported gas, so self reliance in urea is not self reliance in energy.
The way forward
- Bring urea under the Nutrient Based Subsidy, so that prices signal balanced use.
- Move in time to a direct transfer to the farmer, for each acre or each unit of nutrient.
- Promote nano urea, coated urea and organic sources.
- Use soil health cards to guide the dose.
Prelims facts
- Urea supplies nitrogen; it is 46 per cent nitrogen.
- Urea is under statutory price control; phosphatic and potassic fertilisers are under the Nutrient Based Subsidy, in force since 2010.
- All urea made or imported for farming is neem coated.
- India imports about a quarter of its urea.
- The Department of Fertilisers is under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
Urea is sold to farmers at a price fixed by the government, far below its cost. The Centre pays the difference to the maker or importer.
What changed
15 Jul 2026LeadUrea: a new investment policy and an old subsidy problem
See also: Fertiliser registration and nutrient use efficiency
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
Copy link to Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman NidhiPrelims
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi pays farmers ₹6,000 a year in three instalments.
What changed
31 Jul 2026Briefnewly addedThe Cabinet continued the scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with ₹3.15 lakh crore, keeping the ₹6,000 a year. It has paid 23 instalments, the latest to 9.49 crore farmers. Press Information Bureau, 31 Jul 2026: Cabinet approves continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi to 2030-31 (opens in a new tab)
Urea and phosphatic fertiliser supply
Copy link to Urea and phosphatic fertiliser supplyMains
India's fertiliser supply for the kharif season depends on imports of urea and on world prices of the inputs of diammonium phosphate (DAP).
What changed
3 Aug 2026Briefnewly addedUrea imports in April to June tripled to 25.1 lakh tonnes, keeping availability above the kharif requirement. High prices of phosphoric acid and sulphur strained DAP supply, and the Centre gave special support over the Nutrient Based Subsidy to hold DAP at ₹1,350 a bag. Mains: Dependence on imported inputs ties the fertiliser subsidy bill to world prices. The Indian Express, 3 Aug 2026
See also: Fertiliser registration and nutrient use efficiency · Forced bundling of fertilisers
Forced bundling of fertilisers
Copy link to Forced bundling of fertilisersMains
Bundling is the practice of making a farmer buy a non subsidised product along with a subsidised fertiliser.
What changed
6 Aug 2026Briefnewly addedA parliamentary standing committee recommended amending the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985 to ban bundling non subsidised products with subsidised fertilisers. It asked for separate billing and coordination between the Centre and the States, since bundling raises farmers' real cost of urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP). Mains: Bundling takes back from the farmer part of the subsidy the fertiliser price is meant to pass on. PRS Legislative Research, 6 Aug 2026: Monthly Policy Review, August 2026 (opens in a new tab)
See also: Fertiliser registration and nutrient use efficiency