Modi govt will continue making fertilizers available to farmers: Union Minister in LS

New Delhi, Mar 22 (PTI) The government on Tuesday assured Lok Sabha that it will continue to make fertilizers available to farmers after a member raised the issue, saying there is a decline in the domestic production of the crop-nutrient this year with inadequate supply of ammonia and potassium from Russia and Ukraine.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Kailash Choudhary said the government had made fertilizers available to farmers at a subsidised rate even when their prices had gon up to reach Rs 1,200 per bag.

"And in that, there was a subsidy of Rs 600 (per bag). Today its rate has gone up to reach Rs 4,200 (per bag). Yet it is being made available at the rate of Rs 1,200 (per bag) by giving subsidy of Rs 2,600," the minister said.

This is the "foresightedness and commitment" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards the farmers, he said in the Lower House during Question Hour.

"In future also, the Narendra Modi government will not let farmers face any form of injustice. When needed, fertilizers will be made available to farmers, no matter from where they have to be brought," the minister added.

The minister was replying to a question by AIMIM member Imtiyaz Jaleel who said that farmers of the country was looking at the government as the domestic production of fertilizers has gone down this year with inadequate supply of ammonia and potassium from Russia and Ukraine.

"The Maharashra government today said that it has asked the central government with regard to the supply of fertilizers," Jaleel said and sought to know from the Union government if it will give an assurance to the farmers that there will be a regular supply of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds, and their prices will also not be increased. PTI PK RCJ