Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday pitched for transferring the central government’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore annual fertiliser subsidy to farmers’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), saying it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities.
Addressing the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus here, Chouhan said a bag of urea that actually costs Rs 2,400 reaches farmers at just Rs 265-270 because of the subsidy the central government absorbs.
“If such a large subsidy is transferred directly to farmers’ accounts through DBT, farmers will be able to decide which fertilisers to purchase and in what quantities. This system will ensure that the actual beneficiary of the subsidy is the farmer who applies the fertiliser to the fields,” he said.
Currently, fertiliser subsidies in India are primarily transferred to companies rather than directly to farmers. Though the …​Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday pitched for transferring the central government’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore annual fertiliser subsidy to farmers’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), saying it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities.
Addressing the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus here, Chouhan said a bag of urea that actually costs Rs 2,400 reaches farmers at just Rs 265-270 because of the subsidy the central government absorbs.
“If such a large subsidy is transferred directly to farmers’ accounts through DBT, farmers will be able to decide which fertilisers to purchase and in what quantities. This system will ensure that the actual beneficiary of the subsidy is the farmer who applies the fertiliser to the fields,” he said.
Currently, fertiliser subsidies in India are primarily transferred to companies rather than directly to farmers. Though the … ​Latest News [ SOBAN NEWS: International and National ]
