Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled IFFCO’s liquid nano Di-Ammonia Phosphate (DAP) on Wednesday. During the event, Shah emphasized the significance of the launch, stating that it marks a crucial step towards achieving self-sufficiency in fertilizer production in India.

Shah also highlighted the global significance of the first Nano DAP (Liquid) launch, emphasizing its potential to propel foodgrain production and bolster India’s fertilizer self-reliance. Manufactured by the cooperative major IFFCO, the Nano DAP was recently included in the Fertilizer Control Order by the Centre, which oversees the sale, pricing, and distribution of fertilizers in the country.

In discussing the cooperative sector’s role in fertilizer production, Shah revealed that out of the total fertilizer production of 384 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in the country, 132 LMT has been contributed by cooperative societies, with IFFCO alone accounting for 90 LMT.

In addition to the Nano DAP launch, IFFCO also introduced Nano Urea in May 2021, resulting in a significant decrease in urea imports by seven lakh metric tonnes in 2021-22. Shah further outlined the goal to reduce granular DAP usage by 90 lakh metric tons through liquid DAP, with plans to produce eighteen crore liquid DAP bottles in the country.

Addressing the government’s initiatives to strengthen the cooperative sector, Shah highlighted the establishment of a separate Ministry of Cooperation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized the need to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), with plans to create new multi-dimensional PACS in 2 lakh panchayats over the next 5 years. Additionally, Shah noted that model bye-laws of PACS have been sent to the states, with 17 states already adopting these laws. Under the Multidimensional PACS, a single PACS will be created by combining four PACS to provide various services, including fisheries, financial loans to farmers, and dairy.