-The Indian Express In an article in these columns (‘A fertile mess', IE, December 11), Ashok Gulati says India has landed its fertiliser industry in a mess because of rising subsidies, lagging investment, unbalanced use of fertilisers and diversion of Urea for other uses, among other things. He blames it all on administered pricing and subsidy costs, and advocates the increase of Urea prices or cash transfer of the fertiliser subsidy...

-The Hindu Business Line   The closure of three Urea producing plants in south India has led to a sharp spike in imports and subsidies In April 2014, the UPA government in its last days, cut off the lifeline of three Urea plants. It gave a final push to a ten-year-old trend of replacing domestic Urea production with imports. The government-owned Madras Fertilisers, and the private sector units SPIC and MCF closed down...

-The Hindu Vellore (Tamil Nadu): Farmers have urged the district administration to provide organic fertilizers to restore soil fertility and improve nutrition of the crops. At the farmers' grievance redressal meeting on Friday, a farmer, Pichandi of Serpadi village said the nutrients in the soil were destroyed by using fertilizers such as Urea, potash and complex in the last few decades. "Nearly 35 years ago, the government distributed neeli seeds, known as...

-Deccan Chronicle Chennai: Farmers have been hit by an acute shortage of fertilisers at the height of the paddy growing season in the state. Due to shortage of fertilisers, they are forced to buy Urea and DAP at double the cost in the open market, said MDMK general secretary Vaiko. In a statement here, Mr Vaiko said last year, through cooperative societies, Urea was sold at a cost of Rs 270...

-The Hindu Business Line   Heard of the eco-san toilet that fights river pollution? Pachnada is about 100 km from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh. Meaning pach (five) and nada (rivers), it is the region at the confluence of the Yamuna with its tributaries - Chambal, Sindh, Kunwari and Pahuj. Here, the rejuvenated Yamuna and its rich biodiversity including the magar, ghariyal and sus (dolphin) prove that once a river's flow is restored its...