Govt plans to accord ‘permanent approval’ to nano-fertilizers
The Indian government plans to issue permanent approval for nano-fertilizers in place of current three-year term as part of “ease of doing” business since the technology is getting adopted by farmers not only in India buy as many as 25 other countries. However, before issuing such an approval, even for new application, the Agriculture Ministry wants all the data from test results thoroughly get evaluated by experts.
Addressing the annual conference of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) in New Delhi, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said that since nano-fertilizer is a new technology, it is natural to see some resistance. But, as the product is good for the crop and the soil, the acceptability would emerge.
He said that companies have been asked to submit test results to the government so that the approval become permanent and they do not have to re-apply every three year.
Next renewal
It is learnt that while the nano-urea of IFFCO has already been renewed for another three years, the next renewal of the product of some other companies is due in June 2026. I
However, Chaturvedi, in a veiled warning to the fertilizer industry, said that companies should desist from “tagging” nano-fertilizers or other products like bio stimulants with subsidised fertilizers. “That (tagging) actually leading to unnecessary complaints. We believe it (nano-fertilizer) is something useful. But, because it is being forced on the farmers, there is a negative thing emerging.”
He said when it becomes an imposed way of action, despite a good product, it converts into a complaint. That sort of system should be avoided, he said.
“My request to all the companies here, is that we should try educating the farmers, and we will help in that sector and will work with you, so that farmers themselves start adopting this new technology,” he said.
Wrong portrayal
Speaking with media earlier this week, IFFCO’s managing director K J Patel said already officers have been instructed not to tag any product with subsidised fertilizers. However, he said that as the retail sales points also sell non-subsidised agri inputs, many a times it is wrongly portrayed as forced sale even if it is a request from the retailer to the farmer.
But, Chaturvedi said that many times companies actually force it on the wholesalers and then the wholesalers force it on the retailers and then retailers force it on the farmers. He asked companies to analyse the reasons, find out the roadblocks when any new product faces any challenge. There is always a sort of hesitation by the farmers because of tagging, he added.
Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary on December 9 told Parliament that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) five-year network project, titled ‘Evaluation of nano urea on crop productivity and nitrogen use efficiency in diverse agro-ecological zones of India’, was to understand the long-term effects of nano urea on soil nutrients, crop yield and quality.
Agronomic trials
The ICAR is doing an independent evaluation of nano-fertilizers at an estimated cost of ₹15 crore by testing its efficacy in thousands of locations across the country. However, experts have questioned how that would be fair if the project is getting funded by the producing companies.
The study actually necessitated after mixed reports from different research bodies and state universities. Separate research conducted by the Punjab Agricultural University, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, and Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora on different crops has found that the use of nano urea has had a negative impact on grain yield and quality.
But, agronomic trials conducted at Hyderabad, Karnal, Bengaluru, Jobner and Kalyani reported increased yield of cereals and oilseeds by 5-15 per cent after two foliar sprays of nano urea.
Published on December 11, 2025
