India’s agriculture is heavily dependent on the usage of fertilizers. Government data indicates that the fertilizer usage has averaged at around 500 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) per year in the last 10 years. A parliamentary standing committee recommended for measures to ensure judicious use of fertilizers. Land is a limited resource. To ensure food security for a growing population and to meet increasing demand, it is imperative that there is adequate food production in the country. Chemical substances such as fertilizers and pesticides are used by farmers in a bid to increase crop yield. While pesticides help in getting rid of pests which usually attack crops, fertilizers are mixed with the soil so as to increase its fertility. Fertilizers contain essential nutrients which are necessary for plant growth and its health, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous. This is of utmost use for farmers who plant crops in multiple cycles without letting the soil ‘re-fill’ its stock of nutrients naturally. Fertilizers’ usage must be based on geographical conditions Using fertilizers helps farmers to grow crops on their land continuously without the need to worry about production & yield due to nutrient deficiency. Some fertilizers are even helpful for increasing the water retention capacity of soil. Both organic and inorganic fertilizers are available in the market. Since nutritional requirement varies with crop variety, type of soil, irrigation, rainfall and the climatic conditions etc., the quantity and composition of fertilizers needs to be determined separately for each piece of land and crop. The usage is thus not uniform across countries or regions. Its usage varies with time as well. Global consumption of fertilizers is on the rise Globally, the consumption of fertilizers has been on the rise. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the consumption of fertilizers such as nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers touched an all-time high of more than 140 kilograms per hectare of arable land in 2016. In India, the Green revolution was a major turning point resulting in the increase of chemical fertilizer usage. Fertilizers are included in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 As already seen, there is a myriad number of factors which determine the quantity and mix of fertilizer inputs to be used because of which there is no ideal or standard mix which can be adopted globally. The Fertiliser Control Order, 1985 lays down what all substances can be used as fertilizers in the country. The order also enlists the product-wise specifications, sampling methods and methods of analysis of fertilizers. For instance, the Ammonium Sulphate must conform to the following standard. Because of their importance in agriculture, fertilizers are included in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 as an essential commodity. Fertilizer usage has increased manifold since 1970s According to a study, ‘Fertilisers use in India’ by FAO, India’s fertilizer consumption has increased from less than 1 million tonnes of total nutrients in the mid-1960s to almost 17 million tonnes in early 2000s. It also stated that introduction of High-Yield varieties of seeds in the 1960s helped elevate fertilizer use. Later, in 1973-73, the prices of fertilizers and grains increased due to the oil crisis, as a result of which countries’ formulated policies to improve their fertilizer supplies and enhance food security. As per the figures submitted in the Lok Sabha in March 2020, there is no specific trend in fertilizers consumption in the country in the past nine years. The data for 2019-20 is up to January only and till then, India’s fertilizer consumption was close to 500 Lakh Metric Tonnes, in line with the consumption figures the year before. A substantial portion of the fertilizers consumed were produced in India As detailed in an earlier story, the state governments prepare a monthly estimate of the amount of fertilizers required and submit it to the Department of Agriculture which in turns coordinates with Department of Fertilizers. The Department of Fertilizers prepares the monthly supply plan after consultations with manufacturers and importers to meet the demands projected by the agriculture department. A substantial portion of urea is manufactured in India. The domestic production of nitrogen and phosphate increased from 1.8 million tonnes of nutrients in 1975/76 to 14.2 million tonnes in 2003/04. In 2018-19, Urea production was 240 LMT while that of phosphate and nitrogen were 66.02 LMT and 5.46 LMT. Potash fertilizers are imported completely due to absence of natural resources. The import rose from 0.4 million tonnes in mid 1970s to 2.6 million tonnes in 2003-04 and touched 29.81 LMT in 2018-19.