India's Second Nano-Fertilizer Plant Set-up in Prayagraj | 26 Sep 2022

Why In News?

• According to the information received from the media on September 25, 2022, the country's second nano fertilizer plant has been ready in Phulpur, Prayagraj. Production will start as soon as the government approves it. The plant is expected to be commissioned in November.

Key Points

• This will be IFFCO's second plant in the country at Phulpur. IFFCO's first nano fertilizer unit in the country was established in Kalol, Gujarat. It was launched by Prime Minister Modi.
• In the second phase, units have been set up at Aonla (Bareilly) and Phulpur (Prayagraj). The production capacity of Phulpur plant is 7 crore and Amla has a capacity of 11 crore bottles per annum.
• A target of producing 70 lakh bottles of manure has been set in Phulpur between November and March next year. IFFCO has set a target of producing 32 crore bottles of nano urea annually from the three plants, which will replace 13.7 crore metric tonnes of subsidized urea.
• Phulpur unit head Sanjay Kudeshia said that nano fertilizer liquid has been prepared in the plant, which will start production from November. This fertilizer will not only help in saving the fertility being destroyed due to excessive use of urea at present, but will also save money, labor and time of the farmers.
• The fertilizer capacity of half a liter of nano manure prepared at Phulpur plant is 45 kg of urea. The weight will be equal to one sack. Argentina and Brazil have also tied up with IFFCO for its supply.
• There have been complaints of excessive use of urea to increase the yield of crops, which has been destroying the fertility of agricultural land for a long time. To address this concern, IFFCO has not only prepared nano fertilizer liquid, but has also patented it. IFFCO management claims that nano fertilizer will not only increase the fertility of the land, but also production.
• For the farmers, this fertilizer will be cheaper than urea. 45 kg. While a sack containing urea is available for Rs 267, a half-liter bottle of liquid nano compost that meets the same requirement will be available for Rs 240 only. Not only this, 24 thousand crore rupees given every year as subsidy to the farmers from the government fund will also be saved.
• It is worth noting that nano urea is not only environment friendly but it is also more profitable than urea. Where the crop gets 30 percent profit from urea, while the crop gets 80 percent profit from nano urea (nano manure). Apart from this, the cost of nano urea is also less than that of urea. Drones can also be used to spray nano fertilizers.