Punjab proposal to hike urea MRP rejected at stakeholders meet
Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi in the last Rabi conference had suggested the Fertiliser Ministry to fix urea bag at a roundabout rate which is easily payable and personally he would desire the rate should be ₹300 per bag
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JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
The Fertiliser Ministry under minister J P Nadda deliberated as many as 15-points at a day-long Chintan Shivir (introspection camp) held last week. However, it is learnt that tagging of other products with subsidised fertilisers as well as sales of these crop nutrients above the prescribed selling prices were two major issues raised at the meeting. The minister has reportedly s told the meeting that both these are “wrong” and should stop. He asked officials and industry to work together in this direction.
The “thematic areas” for Chintan Shivir, held on January 3, were freight subsidy policy, improving soil health- alternate fertilizers (Nano, new age fertilizers), attaining self-sufficiency in fertilizer sector, outreach and farmers awareness through various mediums, Digital up-gradation of India’s Fertilizer Ecosystem.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendra (PMKSKs) and fertilizers distribution network/ dealer management, Movement (Control) Order and Supply plan, alternate (online) mode for sale of subsidised fertilizers, fertilizer packing: Small bag size and tracking of bags, targeted sale of fertilizers aligned with land and crop, and Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) in urea for balanced fertilization were some of the other “thematic areas”.
‘Centre not pro-reform’
“Though no decision was taken, but if the government wants to do some reforms, the deliberations were good enough to prioritise where to strike first,” said an industry official who participated in the meeting. However, he was sceptical saying the attitude of the government was not pro-reforms.
He cited how a Punjab government official was snubbed for suggesting to increase maximum retail price (MRP) of urea to over come black marketing. Many in the industry supported the idea to increase the MRP since farmers are being forced to buy at about ₹300 per bag against its MRP of ₹267.
Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi in the last Rabi conference had suggested the Fertiliser Ministry to fix urea bag at a roundabout rate which is easily payable and personally he would desire the rate should be ₹300 per bag.
Addressing the gathering, Nadda emphasised that policies and decisions must aim to make the life of the farmer easier and better. He noted that despite various challenging circumstances, the Department has successfully met the fertilizer requirements of farmers. He highlighted that due to the farmer-friendly measures taken by the Department of Fertilizers, the country has achieved record production along with necessary imports this year, an official statement said.
The Minister further stated that various departments of the government will work in coordination to tackle issues such as the balanced use of fertilizers and the diversion or misuse of fertilizers for non-agricultural purposes.
Published on January 6, 2026
