New Delhi: The Soluble Fertilizer Industry Association (SFIA) has developed India’s first indigenous water-soluble fertilizer after seven years of research.
The technology was backed by the Ministry of Mines and developed using Indian raw materials and Indian-designed plants.
This could significantly reduce the country’s heavy dependence on Chinese speciality fertilizer imports.
India currently imports 80 per cent of its speciality fertilizers directly from China. The remaining 20 per cent is indirectly traded through Chinese sources.
Barring 5 per cent of NPK formulations produced domestically, India is 95 per cent dependent on Chinese supplies for speciality fertilizers.
This new technology has undergone multiple layers of government scrutiny. It received support from the Ministry of Mines to develop a pilot plant, which is now ready for scale-up.
The technology will reach farmers’ fields within two years when large-scale production starts. JVs are already being discussed with leading fertilizer companies for commercial implementation.
This new tech enables the production of almost all types of soluble fertilizers through a single process. Existing methods require different technologies for each product.
Environmental sustainability is another key feature. The technology operates as a zero-effluent project with no emissions.
