Directives have been issued to the concerning officers in connection with funds allocated for conservation-cum-development schemes for primitive tribes for the year 2007-08. According to the directives, they have been asked to approve on priority basis the schemes under this Rs ten crore plan. Principles laid down by the Union government have also been incorporated in it.

The us demand for corn-based ethanol could cause nutrient-pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, expanding its dead zone, say scientists. The dead zone forms in the Gulf of Mexico every summer

Close on the heels of the Union Fertiliser Ministry demanding an extra Rs 60,000 crore for fertiliser subsidy over and above Rs 30,986 crore provided in the Budget, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday deferred a proposal regarding measures for standardisation and rationalisation of sale price of high-nutrient fertilisers, in particular single super phosphate (SSP) fertilisers. The CCEA meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

If you thought the Rs 60,000-crore farm loan waiver is the only spending that will dent Finance Minister P Chidambaram's fiscal prudence, think again.

The agricultural scene in Haryana, dominated by paddy-wheat rotation, is causing degradation to soil fertility and fall in the underground water level.

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Factories reportedly going slow on production Steep increase in fertilizer prices in international market Karnataka and Kerala are stated to be heading for a major shortage of chemical fertilizers during the ensuing kharif season with the Union Government yet to finalise the fertilizer prices and consequently the factories going slow on production. Sources in the State Secretariat told The Hindu that the authorities here are in touch with their counterparts in Kerala to finalise a joint move to impress on the Union Government to act with speed failing which it could have serious repercussions in the rural areas arising out of fertilizer shortage. The kharif sowing season normally starts around the same time in Karnataka and Kerala with the southwest monsoon setting in the region more or less around the same time. Fixing fertilizer prices and the quantum of fertilizer subsidy go hand-in-hand and a committee of Secretaries of the Union Government is stated to be pondering over this matter at length following the steep increase in fertilizer prices in the international market .The escalating prices of key inputs in the manufacture of phosphatic fertilizers is stated as one of the factors for the delay. Governor Rameshwar Thakur, during a recent visit to New Delhi, is stated to have impressed upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the need to ensure adequate fertilizer supplies to Karnataka in time. A similar request has also been made to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan. The State faced a fertilizer shortage during the last rabi season. When compared with a projected demand of 15.39 lakh tonnes the supply was only 7.18 lakh tonnes. Kharif accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the agricultural production with the rest coming from the rabi crop. Normally, the exercise of building up fertilizer stocks by the authorities commences in the last week of February and the despatch to the dealers commences in the last week of March well ahead of the kharif season, which commences in April. The State has to also ensure the availability of railway wagons to transport fertilizer from the factories to all parts of the State. Unlike Kerala which has a major fertilizer factory (FACT), the only fertilizer plant in Karnataka (Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers-MCF) manufactures only urea. Sources told The Hindu that "the situation is alarming because the fertilizer industry as a whole has not taken any concrete step to produce and stock. We are anxiously waiting with our fingers crossed.'