Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said that farmers will continue to get urea and diammonium phosphate at subsidized prices despite concerns over global supplies amid the Middle East crisis, stressing that the government has adequate stock of fertilizers and is prepared to deal with any impact of the El Niño phenomenon.Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the BRICS agricultural meeting in Indore, Chauhan said India has adequate stock of fertilizers for the ongoing kharif season and is taking steps to ensure adequate supply for the rabi crop cycle as well.“Our government has decided that farmers will continue to get urea and DAP at reasonable prices. The government will bear the burden of increasing prices,” news agency PTI quoted Chouhan as saying.“This will put an additional burden of thousands of rupees on the exchequer, but we are ready to bear it for the benefit of the farmers,” he added.The minister said that the government is making efforts to ensure that there is no shortage of fertilizers in the next crop season.“Our government is making every effort to ensure availability of adequate fertilizer for rabies crops as well. I am confident that we will succeed in these efforts under all circumstances,” he said.
Chouhan said that discussions during the five-day BRICS agricultural meeting also focused on balanced use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.He noted that India is already implementing several programs to promote organic and natural agriculture as part of efforts to make agriculture more sustainable.Responding to concerns about the potential impact of El Niño on India, Chouhan said the government has taken adequate precautions.He added, “The El Niño phenomenon will have an impact on India and other countries, but we have made sufficient preparations. We will also cooperate with other countries by exchanging information and best practices.”El Nino is a climate phenomenon that has historically been associated with weak seasonal rainfall.