The exhortations by prime minister, Modi and his cabinet colleague, chemicals and fertilizer minister, Ananth Kumar regarding the success of neam coating of urea [ordered by Modi last year to cover all of domestic production and import] could have much deeper ramifications than mere stoppage of diversion to industrial use and smuggling to neighboring countries. The total consumption of urea in India is about 30 million tons annually including 22 million ton indigenous and 8 million tons imported. Since, all of this is sold by manufacturers/importers at a low ‘controlled’ price under the Fertilizer Control Order [FCO], the excess of cost of production/import and distribution over this price is reimbursed to them as subsidy by Government of India [GOI]. For...
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Category: Alternative policy scenario
MAKING DBT FERTILISER A REALITY
Considering the perceptible impact of DBT for fertiliser subsidies on stakeholders, it is imperative that the Government comes out with a roadmap so that the beneficiaries get adequate time to prepare for the transition Speaking at the inaugural session of the ninth Global Agriculture Leadership Summit on September 8, in New Delhi, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ananth Kumar said that the Government was committed to implement direct benefit transfer (DBT) for fertiliser subsidy to farmers. But he failed to give a time-frame. Drawing a parallel with liquefied petroleum gas where DBT has already been successfully implemented, he opined that things are much more complex in the fertiliser case. He said the Government would take a call on this...
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Fertilizer woes – quick fix won’t work
On July 4, 2016, the minister for chemicals and fertilizers, Ananth Kumar announced government’s decision to reduce maximum retail price [MRP] of non-urea fertilizers viz., DAP [di-ammonium phosphate: 18% nitrogen [N] & 46% phosphate [P]]; MOP [muriate of potash] [60% potash [K]] and complex fertilizers [contain N, P and K in different proportions] with immediate effect. The retail price of DAP has been reduced by Rs 2,500 per ton to Rs 22,000/tonne, MOP by Rs 5,000 per ton to Rs 11,000/tonne and those of complex fertilizers by Rs 1,000/tonne on an average. The minister went on to say that the rate cut would entail a benefit of Rs 4,500 crore to farmers and help promote balanced use of fertilizers. On...
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DBT for fertilisers is a hoax
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is perceived to be a crusader when it comes to plugging leakages from the subsidy distribution pipeline. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is perceived to be a crusader when it comes to plugging leakages from the subsidy distribution pipeline. He has amply demonstrated this in the case of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), wherein the government implemented direct benefit transfer (DBT) and saved about R15,000 crore annually. However, when it comes to fertilisers, similar initiatives are conspicuous by their absence. During 2015-16, out of an allocation of R73,000 crore on fertiliser subsidy, as much as R50,300 crore was on urea. The subsidy is administered through manufacturers who are directed to sell urea at a fixed uniform maximum retail...
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Bad subsidies – perception vs reality
Addressing the ET Global Business Summit, prime minister, Modi for the first time ever, shared at length his thinking on subsidies. The relevant excerpts are reproduced below:- “We have to eliminate bad subsidies, whether or not they are called subsidies. But, some subsidies may be necessary to protect the poor and the needy and give them a fair chance to succeed. Hence, my aim is not to eliminate subsidies but to rationalize and target them. I have been referring to cooking gas, fertilizer and kerosene subsidies. I must confess that I am surprised by the way words are used by experts on this matter. When a benefit is given to farmers or to the poor, experts and government officers normally...
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Direct transfer of fertilizer subsidy – 12 commandments
Direct benefit transfer [DBT] of fertilizer subsidy offers huge benefits viz., rational allocation of resources, reduction of imbalance in NPK use, prevention of pilferage/black-marketing and saving in subsidy. Even as Modi – government is committed to introduce DBT, it would do well to seriously consider following 12 commandments:- (i) It must be made abundantly clear to all stakeholders that the day DBT is introduced, the present system of routing subsidy through fertilizer manufacturers will go. The new pricing scheme [NPS] for urea under which they are paid subsidy will be dismantled. Likewise, the nutrient based scheme [NBS] under which manufacturers of P&K fertilizers are paid subsidy will have to go. (ii) All manufacturers of urea and P&K fertilizers will sell...
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Fertilizer Industry in India – on the brink
Emboldened by the success of direct benefit transfer [DBT] in LPG and having announced DBT for kerosene subsidy in 26 districts to begin with from April 1, 2016, the government is currently examining various possibilities for taking similar initiatives in fertilizers [besides food]. Subsidy syndrome While, these efforts are welcome, it needs to take stock of the present state of fertilizer industry in India as its health is a pre-requisite for ensuring un-interrupted supply of fertilizers to farmers at affordable price. In a pre-budget meeting with finance minister, Arun Jaitely, the Fertiliser Association of India [FAI] told him that at present, manufacturers have outstanding subsidy dues of Rs 45,000 crores. It urged the government to clear these in three installments....
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The unabated food and fertiliser worries
With reforms in fertilisers and food stuck in a groove, it is but natural that the government is shirking from paying subsidy arrears Hamstrung by its inability to achieve target for divestment proceeds from public sector undertakings (PSUs) and lower-than-expected collection from direct tax revenues, the government has resorted to hard posturing with regard to release of subsidy payments under major heads—fertilisers and food. As far as fertilisers are concerned, against a budget allocation of R73,000 crore for the current year, the requirement is expected to be around R80,000 crore. Even as the ministry of finance is likely to provide for additional R7,000 crore, it is in no mood to release arrears of about R30,000 crore from previous year. The...
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Fertilizer and food subsidy haunt budget – sans reform
Hamstrung by its inability to achieve target for divestment proceeds from public sector undertakings [PSUs] and lower than expected collection from direct tax revenue, government has resorted to hard posturing in regard to release of subsidy payments under major heads viz., fertilizers and food. In regard to fertilizers, against budget allocation of Rs 73,000 crores for current year, requirement is expected to be around Rs 80,000 crores. Even as ministry of finance [MOF] is likely to provide for additional Rs 7000 crores, it is in no mood to release arrears of about Rs 30,000 crores from previous year. MOF has also rejected a request from department of fertilizers [DOF] for a special banking arrangement [SBA] for short-term loan of Rs...
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Gas price loss is urea’s gain
It’s time to leverage the conditions. Freeing distribution and movement will also make a difference Under new pricing guidelines notified in October, 2014, the price of domestic gas was fixed at $5.61 per mBtu on net calorific value (NCV) basis with effect from November 1, 2014 — an increase of 33 per cent over the $4.2 per mBtu prior to that date. The price was applicable till March 31, 2015. The price was arrived at by taking a weighted average of gas prices in Henry Hub (the US), NBP (National Balancing Point, the UK), AGR (Alberta Gas Reference, Canada) and Russia. It was to be revised once in six months based on movement in these indices for a full year,...
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