Govt. to roll out Fertilizer Management System

• Accepting the report of the Nandan Nilekani-headed Task Force, the UPA Government announced a roll-out of nationwide mobile-based Fertilizer Management System (mFMS) providing a roadmap for putting in place a gradual direct transfer of subsidy regime for farmers.
• The mFMS, to be launched this year, is designed to provide end-to-end information on the movement of fertilizers and subsidies, from the manufacturer to the retail level.
• The Nandan Nilekani Task Force had been set up by the Government on IT strategy for direct transfer of subsidy.
• The Finance Minister said that in to reduce import dependence on urea, the government is finalising the pricing and investment policies for the key nitrogenous fertiliser. ``It is expected that with the implementation of the investment policy, country will become self sufficient in manufacturing urea in the next five years. In case of the P&K fertiliser, use of SSP will be encouraged through greater extension work. This fertiliser is manufactured entirely in the domestic sector. Enhanced production would bring down our dependence on imports in the P&K sector,’’ Mr. Mukherjee added