Farmers To Gain As Complex Fertilisers Get Cheaper, More Accessible THE government on Thursday cleared a new fertiliser pricing policy that will make some varieties cheaper and help farmers, but the industry said it was only a tentative first step toward price decontrol. "The prices of complex fertilisers will come down by Rs 1,416 per tonne or Rs 70 per bag There will, however, be no change in prices of urea, MOP, DAP and SSP during 2008-09,' finance minister P Chidambaram told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA).

In a bid to encourage the fertiliser industry to increase its production volumes, the government today extended the system of actual freight reimbursement to all types of fertilisers. Currently, only urea enjoys this concession. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which met here today, also approved a uniform nutrient subsidy policy to encourage farmers to use nutrient-based organic instead of regular nutrient like urea and DAP. nutrient-based organic instead of regular nutrient like urea and DAP. OTHER DECISIONS Nod to a scheme for training of the Indian team for

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday announced a new nutrient-based pricing policy for all subsidised fertilizers that would lead to lowering of prices of some varieties. It also approved a uniform freight subsidy for all fertilizers to ensure its adequate availability across the nation at a uniform price. It will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2008.

WASHINGTON/WINNIPEG: It powered the Green Revolution and helped save millions from starvation, but now one of the most important tools on the farm is being priced out of reach for many of the world's growers. With food prices soaring and stocks thinning, the world is in need of bumper harvests but once one of most bountiful of commodities, fertilizer, is becoming scarce and expensive. It's estimated that one third of the protein consumed by humans is a result of fertilizer. So high prices and spot shortages are yet another stress on the world's ailing food system.

Karnataka Bureau Yeddyurappa says genuine farmers were not involved in the protests HAVERI/BANGALORE: One person was killed and 13 were injured in police firing and lathi-charge that followed protests by farmers in Haveri district on Tuesday.

There is good news for the crisis-ridden fertiliser industry. The Centre would support the revival of closed units of Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCI) and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation (HFC). The inter-ministerial group has recommended 51% equity control by the PSUs in the revival of the units, with budgetary support from the government. The balance 49% would come from other sources.

The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh indicated during last July's G-8 Summit in St Petersburg that he wanted to force the pace of Indo-Russian cooperation. The PM remarked that, "The economic pillar of our strategic relationship needs attention, as at present it is not as strong as it should be.' He, and others, have also noted that both economies have been logging up good rates of growth, something that could lay the foundation for more substantive economic cooperation between the two.

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.

National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), a Mini Ratna Schedule