Fertiliser PSUs must diversify product basket, upgrade tech to compete with pvt players: Gowda

He asked public sector units (PSUs) to ensure that farmers get soil nutrients in adequate quantities at the right time during the current rabi sowing season. The minister held a review meeting with Chairman & Managing Directors (CMDs) of fertiliser PSUs to take stock of performance as well as their preparedness for future.

Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday asked state-owned fertiliser companies to diversify product portfolio and technology upgradation to compete with private firms and become self-sustainable. He asked public sector units (PSUs) to ensure that farmers get soil nutrients in adequate quantities at the right time during the current rabi sowing season.

The minister held a review meeting with Chairman & Managing Directors (CMDs) of fertiliser PSUs to take stock of performance as well as their preparedness for future. Gowda congratulated fertiliser PSUs for making fertilisers available to farmers by producing and supplying urea and other fertilisers across the country, despite facing various hurdles during the lockdown period.

"Because of efforts of domestic companies and proactiveness of officers of Department of Fertilisers, there was no shortage of urea in the country, even when demand for urea shot up due to better than expected rainfall and a substantial increase in area under farming Kharif season," Gowda said in an official statement. He asked CMDs of fertiliser PSUs to gear up for the upcoming Rabi season and ensure that farmers get fertilisers in adequate quantities in time.

He directed CMDs to chalk out a common strategy to encourage cashless transactions for the sale of fertilisers to reduce diversion and leakages of subsidies. Gowda "stressed on the need for PSUs to become self-sustainable, and said that in future, PSUs should not depend upon budgetary support from Government of India".

"The need of the hour is to go for diversification of product basket, development of new products such as nano-fertilisers and customised fertilisers, technology up-gradation and if necessary, through revamping of existing plants if they have to sustain in future, and compete with the private sector and imported fertilisers," the statement said. He added that fertiliser PSUs should also be sensitive towards environmental concerns as the introduction of any environment-related policies in future may disrupt their viability.

The meeting was attended by Chhabilendra Roul, Secretary (Fertilisers). Virendra Nath Datt, CMD (National Fertilizers Ltd), S C Mudgerikar, CMD (Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd), Kishor Rungta, CMD (The Fertilisers And Chemicals Travancore Ltd), U Saravanan, CMD (Madras Fertilizers Ltd), A K Ghosh, CMD (Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Ltd) and Amar Singh Rathore, CMD (FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals India Ltd) were present in the meeting.