Bhopal, April 10 (NationPress) - Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Friday that the Centre will persist in protecting farmers from the escalating global prices of fertilizers and is implementing a new ‘Farmer ID’ system designed to promote transparent distribution and counteract diversion.

During a press conference at his home, Chouhan emphasized that despite the surge in international raw material costs, the government has resolved to maintain current fertilizer prices for farmers.

“A bag of urea will still be priced at Rs 266, while DAP will remain at Rs 1,350. The government is absorbing the additional costs entirely to shield farmers from these pressures,” he stated.

He revealed that the Union Cabinet has sanctioned an extra allocation of Rs 41,000 crore to sustain subsidies, ensuring that farmers are not economically burdened by global price changes.

Addressing issues of misuse, Chouhan pointed out that subsidized fertilizers are frequently diverted for industrial or non-agricultural uses. To combat this, the Centre is creating a Farmer ID based system.

“This initiative will connect each farmer’s landholding, crop specifics, and family details to one unique ID. This will help determine the precise fertilizer needs,” Chouhan explained.

He further noted that the system's aim is to ensure sufficient supply to authentic farmers while curbing hoarding, black marketing, and excessive procurement. “Our objective is to ensure no farmer faces shortages, while also stringently controlling misuse,” he added.

According to the Minister, over 92.9 million Farmer IDs have already been created, with the goal of extending coverage to about 130 million farmers nationwide.

Chouhan also addressed the difficulties encountered by sharecroppers and tenant farmers, stating that a model successfully trialed in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana enables these farmers to obtain fertilizers with written permission from landowners.

“We are focused on refining this system and implementing it across the country to ensure that no cultivator is overlooked,” the Minister asserted.

In light of global developments, Chouhan mentioned that the government is vigilantly observing the repercussions of geopolitical tensions on fertilizer supply and agricultural exports. “Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, high-level meetings are consistently being conducted to guarantee the uninterrupted availability of fertilizers,” he stated.

He reiterated that safeguarding farmers is the government's utmost priority. “We are devoted to ensuring fair pricing, sufficient inputs, and minimizing the effects of global crises on our farmers,” Chouhan concluded.