Fertiliser Advisory Forum meets tomorrow

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) The Fertiliser Advisory Forum will meet here tomorrow to discuss the key issues plaguing the sector which include fertiliser pricing, nutrient subsidy, alternative methodologies for delivery of fertiliser subsidy to farmers and usage of water-soluble fertilisers.

Representatives from state governments, fertiliser industry, farmers and central governments departments will attend the day long deliberations. On top of the agenda will be availability and distribution of fertiliser.

The Department of Fertilisers has taken a number of steps to ensure timely and adequate availability throughout the country after the first meeting of the forum in March 2006.

The first meeting paved the way for the adoption of the New Pricing Scheme Stage-III for Urea, monitoring of fertiliser availability up to the district level, creation of a buffer stock up to five per cent of the seasonal demand in major fertiliser consuming states and payment of rail freight as per actual expenditure for transportation of urea.

The rationalisation of road freight has also been carried out.

The freight is being revised to account for increase in rail and road transport costs for Phosphatic and Potassic fertilisers.

State governments have been advised to strengthen the state institutional agencies to coordinate with manufacturers and importers for streamlining fertiliser supplies.

Minister for Steel, Chemicals and Fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan will preside over the meeting while the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers B K Handique will address the meeting.

UNI