Sustainable Fertilizer & Agriculture: Mainstay of Indian Economy

There is no second thought about the existence of direct correlation between fertilizer consumption and agriculture production. Sustainability of both the sectors is prerequisite to food and nutritional security of the teeming population on long-term basis.

- N. Suresh Krishnan

A griculture is the mainstay of Indian economy because more than 50% of population directly or indirectly depends on it. In addition to providing food, feed, fuel, and fibre to meet the growing need of burgeoning population, it supplies raw materials to the agri-based industry of the country. Indian agriculture witnessed a spectacular growth after introduction of fertilizer responsive high yielding varieties of wheat and rice in 1966-67, followed by of other crops. Production of food grain has increased by 3.5 times from 95.05 million MT in 1967-68 to 332.3 million MT in 2023-24. The same applies to fruit, vegetable and cash crops after introduction of HYVS of these crops.

Growth in agriculture has a multiplier effect on overall growth of Indian economy. Increased used of fertilizers over the years has been instrumental in such splendid growth in agriculture as it has been well documented that 50% increase in agriculture is on account of fertilizer input. Relation between production of food grain and fertilizer use from 1967-68 to 2023-24 is shown in Figure 1. It depicts that agriculture and use of fertilizers are interlinked, and sustainability of both the sectors is necessary.

There is no doubt that there has also been considerable improvement in average productivity of various crops.