Iffco expresses concern over slow adoption of its nano-fertilizers
Nano-technology-based fertilizers which contain plant nutrients in very small particle sizes have witnessed a lower-than-anticipated adoption, according to U.S. Awasthi, managing director, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (Iffco).
Iffco launched the world's first 'Nano Liquid Urea' fertilizer in June 2021 and came up with Nano-DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertilizers in April 2023.
"The adoption of nano fertilizers is lower than anticipated as compared to solid fertilizers," said Awasthi, after announcing the financial results for Iffco. the country's largest agro-fertilizer manufacturer and distributor.
He put this down to a lack of awareness of these high-efficiency fertilizers and reluctance among farmers. This is in spite of a significant increase in sales of nano-fertilizers in 2024-25 as compared with a year ago.
In the last financial year, Iffco sold 36.50 million bottles of nano-fertilizers, an increase of 47% as over the 24.89 million bottles sold in the previous financial year.
Out of 36.50 million bottles, 26.80 million were of Nano Urea Plus (Liquid) and 9.7 million of Nano DAP (Liquid). This is equivalent to 1.2 million tonnes of conventional Urea and 4.85 tonnes of conventional DAP.
Considering the total industry volume of 35.80 million tonnes of conventional urea sold last year, the contribution of nano urea is just 3.36%. In case of DAP the contribution of nano-DAP is 5.04% of the total industry volume of 9.62 million tonnes of conventional DAP last year.
"In order to increase penetration, we would increase our outreach activities and marketing campaign including social media," added Awasthi.
Meanwhile, Iffco booked profit after tax at 2,823 crore in FY25 as compared with ₹ 2,443 crore in FY24. Revenue rose to ₹ 41,244 crore in FY25 fiscal, from ₹ 39,474 crore in the previous year.
Commenting upon future plans, Awasthi added,"We will be also launching Nano NPK fertilizer in granular form. Nano NPK fertilizer is enriched with Magnesium, Sulphur, Zinc and Copper which would help in increasing the crop productivity & would minimize nutrient losses."
He further said that Iffco will be also launching Nano Zinc and Nano Copper to fulfil micro-nutrients needs of plants.
According to him, by incorporating nanotechnology, drones, and artificial intelligence, Iffco is transforming the agriculture & food value chain across the country.
Brazil, Kenya and the US have expressed strong interest to adopt the nanotechnology fertilizers, he said. Iffco has expanded its presence in over 40 countries, with reduced rtilizer usage reported from the US\, Brazil, Slovenia, Mauritius, Zambia, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Farmers forced to buy addl goods to obtain DAP
Jaipur: Already hit by unavailability of DAP fertiliser at a time when the Kharif crop has to be sown, farmers across the state are now raising concerns about unfair practices in DAP fertiliser distribution. According to them, to buy DAP, they are being forced to purchase additional products, including fertilisers and pesticides. While struggling to obtain DAP for their sowing needs, farmers in districts like Sriganganagar, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, and Dausa face pressure from traders to buy costly pesticides and sprays alongside the fertiliser. Agriculture minister Kirori Lal Meena has acknowledged this issue and promised to act by initiating a campaign to stop these unethical trading practices. "It is the sowing time for cotton and guar. When we visit the trader, he will first claim that DAP is not available. Later, after seeing our urge to get it, he will give DAP at Rs 1,350 per 50 kg sack. But DAP is sold only when we take other bioproducts, including Nano Urea, Phosphorus, or Zinc. It means if we want to buy DAP, we need to purchase additional products worth Rs 500 to Rs 600," Amar Singh, a farmer from Sriganganagar, told TOI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo He added that even at cooperative stores, this malpractice is taking place. "Most of the fertiliser companies first create a fake shortage of DAP, and when there are hues and cries, they ask farmers to buy other products along with DAP," Singh added. The situation is similar in districts like Sikar. "Not only DAP, even for other fertilisers when we visit shops, we are asked to buy other products," said Madan Lal, a farmer from Sagoth village in the district. Some days ago, minister Meena had raided a place in Suratgarh and distributed 3,000 packets of DAP. He had said, "If a farmer needs only DAP, why should he buy other products too? Farmers are being exploited in the name of fertilisers and seeds. I will ensure continuous campaigns to address this issue." Jaipur: Already hit by unavailability of DAP fertiliser at a time when the Kharif crop has to be sown, farmers across the state are now raising concerns about unfair practices in DAP fertiliser distribution. According to them, to buy DAP, they are being forced to purchase additional products, including fertilisers and pesticides. While struggling to obtain DAP for their sowing needs, farmers in districts like Sriganganagar, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, and Dausa face pressure from traders to buy costly pesticides and sprays alongside the fertiliser. Agriculture minister Kirori Lal Meena has acknowledged this issue and promised to act by initiating a campaign to stop these unethical trading practices. "It is the sowing time for cotton and guar. When we visit the trader, he will first claim that DAP is not available. Later, after seeing our urge to get it, he will give DAP at Rs 1,350 per 50 kg sack. But DAP is sold only when we take other bioproducts, including Nano Urea, Phosphorus, or Zinc. It means if we want to buy DAP, we need to purchase additional products worth Rs 500 to Rs 600," Amar Singh, a farmer from Sriganganagar, told TOI. He added that even at cooperative stores, this malpractice is taking place. "Most of the fertiliser companies first create a fake shortage of DAP, and when there are hues and cries, they ask farmers to buy other products along with DAP," Singh added. The situation is similar in districts like Sikar. "Not only DAP, even for other fertilisers when we visit shops, we are asked to buy other products," said Madan Lal, a farmer from Sagoth village in the district. Some days ago, minister Meena had raided a place in Suratgarh and distributed 3,000 packets of DAP. He had said, "If a farmer needs only DAP, why should he buy other products too? Farmers are being exploited in the name of fertilisers and seeds. I will ensure continuous campaigns to address this issue."
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Farmers face seed price rise and fertiliser shortage before Kharif sowing
Jaipur: Ahead of the sowing of the Kharif crop, farmers in Rajasthan are grappling with a shortage of DAP (Diammonium Phosphate), a widely used fertiliser, and an increase in the prices of seeds. While the state's agriculture minister, Kirori Lal Meena, admitted that the state obtained 90,000 metric tons of DAP against the demand of 2 lakh metric tons, he said that some traders are also engaged in hoarding. Following raids on fake seeds, the prices of seeds, including those of Bajra and Guar, have increased. "The prices of Bajra were Rs 650 per packet and have now increased to Rs 720 per packet. Also, Guar, which was available at Rs 270 is now being sold at Rs 320 per packet. DAP is not available anywhere," said Ram Singh, a farmer from Takrada village near Chomu. Farmers said that in the name of selling genuine seeds, they are being overcharged. "At Sriganganagar, the traders are selling DAP to Punjab at higher prices, and authorities are taking no action," alleged Amar Singh, a farmer from Sriganganagar. When contacted, Kirori Lal Meena, agriculture minister, said, "I am aware of DAP shortage and the fact that many traders are hoarding DAP. Let me repeat that I am not going to let anyone hoard DAP and will ensure its availability to the farmers.: "I have also sought chief minister's intervention to urge the govt to release more DAP since we got 90,000 metric tons against our demand of 2 lakh metric tons," Meena added. Farmers in Sriganganagar said that due to the prevailing problem of less irrigation water, higher prices of seeds, and the non-availability of DAP and other fertilisers, sowing has been limited to only 40% in Sriganganagar. "The authorities should organise more raids at the godowns where traders are hoarding DAP. Also, there should be a check on the prices of seeds and pesticides," said Tejinder Singh, a farmer from Srikaranpur in the Sriganganagar district.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business Standard
Chinese squeeze drives up DAP fertiliser prices, spurs West Asia reliance
It's the second-most-consumed fertiliser in India after urea but a significant portion is imported New Delhi Listen to This Article China's export restrictions are not just squeezing supplies of niche water-soluble fertilisers, they are a factor in mass market Di-Ammonia Phosphate (DAP) prices rising to almost $800 per tonne in June, the highest in the last few months. High DAP prices could jeopardise the Indian government's subsidy maths for FY26 and hurt the margins of companies importing such fertilisers (subsidies cover a significant part of DAP prices). India imported around 4.6 million tonnes of DAP in FY25, according to industry sources. Chinese imports were 0.85 million tonnes, or 18.4 per cent, of that amount. But in FY24, India imported 5.6
