DRAFT INTEGRATED PLANT NUTRITION MANAGEMENT BILL 2022

DRAFT INTEGRATED PLANT NUTRITION MANAGEMENT BILL 2022

TOPIC: Agriculture

Context- Centre has come up with a draft Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Bill, 2022, that, if passed, will take the industry back to the Dark Ages of licences and controls.

Concept-

About the Bill:

• It is aimed at promoting development and sustainable use of balanced fertilizers, including bio-fertilizers, nano-fertilizers, bio-stimulates, and organic fertilizers.
• The bill seeks to establish an ‘Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Authority of India’.
  • States have been empowered to appoint State Controllers of Fertilisers and Fertiliser Inspectors, who can conduct impromptu inspections on industry and trade armed with overarching powers to search, seize and confiscate.
• No person would be able to manufacture, import for sale, sell, or market without obtaining appropriate registration.
• It seeks to simplify the process for manufacturing production, distribution and price management of fertilizers across India. This will help in improving the ease of doing business.
• The Bill empowers the Centre with sweeping powers to cap the maximum selling prices for fertilisers, while allowing it to fix different prices for different regions and customers.
• The Centre will have powers to restrict the movement of fertilisers from one State to another and to dictate the quantities of fertiliser a manufacturer may sell in each State.

Integrated Nutrient Management:

• Integrated Nutrient Management refers to the maintenance of soil fertility and of plant nutrient supply at an optimum level for sustaining the desired productivity through optimization of the benefits from all possible sources of organic, inorganic and biological components in an integrated manner.
• It is based on the concept of:
  • Regulated nutrient supply for optimum crop growth and higher productivity.
  • Improvement and maintenance of soil fertility.
  • Zero adverse impact on agro – ecosystem quality by balanced fertilization of organic manures, inorganic fertilizers and bio- inoculant
• Determinants of INM:
  • Nutrient requirement of cropping system as a whole.
  • Soil fertility status and special management needs to overcome soil problems, if any
  • Local availability of nutrients resources (organic, inorganic and biological sources)
  • Economic conditions of farmers and profitability of proposed INM option.
  • Social acceptability.
  • Ecological considerations.
  • Impact on the environment