China supply cut gets India to step up specialty fertilizer production

The Centre is looking at ways to step up the production of specialty fertilizers for high value fruit, vegetables and flowers, amid a supply disruption from China, a senior government official told Mint.

- Vijay C Roy

The Centre is looking at ways to step up the production of specialty fertilizers for high value fruit, vegetables and flowers, amid a supply disruption from China, a senior government official told Mint.

Preliminary discussions have already been held between the government and leading state-owned, cooperative and private sector fertilizer producers, the official said.

Specialty fertilizers include polymer-coated urea that is released slowly into the soil and is available to plants over a long period, chelated micronutrients that are effective in alkaline soil, water-soluble fertilizers such as monoammonium phosphate and potassium nitrate, and stabilized nitrogen fertilizers with urease inhibitors (NBPT) which allow efficient nitrogen use on soil.