Hyderabad: Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government ensured there are no fertiliser shortages for farmers nationwide during the 2024-25 Rabi season.

Giving the details of the fertilisers, he said Urea, DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate), MOP (Muriate of Potash) and NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) were supplied to Telangana during the Rabi season of 2024-25.

He said on Tuesday that since coming to power in 2014, the Narendra Modi government has spent over Rs 12 lakh crore on fertiliser subsidies. As a result, fertilisers have been made available to farmers across the country at very low prices, irrespective of international market rates.

“In the past, farmers had to wait in long queues to get fertilisers. However, due to several measures taken by the Narendra Modi government, farmers no longer face such difficulties, and they can obtain the required amount of fertilisers at subsidized rates,” the Union Minister added.

Kishan Reddy said that the measures include the supply of neem-coated urea, the revival of many closed fertiliser plants, establishment of new plants, enhancement of production capacity at existing plants with modern machinery, creation of a national fertiliser monitoring system, and prevention of fertiliser black-marketing through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Kishan Reddy said that one such initiative was the establishment of the RFCL (Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd), inaugurated with an investment of Rs 6,338 crore. For the 2024-25 Rabi season, fertilisers have been supplied to all states, and said there are still stocks available in various states to meet their requirements.

The Union Minister said that before each crop season, the central government takes steps to ensure that adequate fertilizers are available to farmers in every state. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare collaborates with all state governments to ascertain that the required fertilisers are provided according to their monthly needs. Utilising data submitted by the state governments, the Central Fertiliser Department ensures a sufficient supply of fertilizers to each state. Further, it is monitored monthly basis on the availability of fertilisers.

To prevent malpractices, the entire supply of major subsidised fertilisers is tightly controlled through an online monitoring system called the “Integrated Fertiliser Monitoring System (IFMS).”

Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, in conjunction with the Ministry of Fertilisers, holds weekly video conferences with agricultural officials from each state. These meetings are aimed at ensuring timely action and the prompt supply of the necessary fertilisers. Once the fertilisers are provided to the states, it is the responsibility of the state governments to distribute them at the district and mandal levels, based on the needs of the farmers, he added.