Centre’s pilot fertiliser sales via App in 22 district yields ₹1,500 cr savings

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This drop has come despite the fact that more number of farmers had purchased the fertilisers in Kharif 2026 than year-ago in these districts where pilot was implemented

By Prabhudatta Mishra

Updated - October 15, 2026 at 08:45 PM. | New Delhi

Under Framework for Fertilisers Sales (FFS), launched in 222 districts of 29 Sates and Union Territories during Kharif 2026 has showed a decline in sales by 28 per cent which helped the government to save ₹1,470 crore as farmers under the scheme are eligible to buy the subsidised crop nutrients on the basis of their land holdings and crops selected.

Also, this drop has come despite the fact that more number of farmers had purchased the fertilisers in Kharif 2026 than year-ago in these districts where pilot was implemented.

According to a presentation made by additional secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda at recently held annual Rabi conference, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka among major agriculture producing states have reported decline upto 75 per cent in sales. Experts said that the drop in sales was also due to by lower rainfall in some of these states. He also said that by regulating sales through an APP/online, there is no queue outside retail outlets as farmers get token when to come for pick up fertilisers.

Punjab and Madhya Pradesh were two important missing states on the list as Punjab did not implement the pilot while Madhya Pradesh discontinued it after farmer protests.

As agriculture minister Shivraj Singh defended the pilot, when asked on the MP’s decision to discontinue, he said it is upto states to decide as it is not a compulsion. However, it is highly essential to reduce and check excessive chemical fertilisers usage to save the soil and also to check diversion to non-farm use to lower susbsidy.

Total as many as 46.97 lakh farmers in these pilot districts purchased fertilisers in Kharif 2026 as against 44.55 lakh year-ago. Similarly, sales were 13.35 lakh tonne (lt) against 18.30 lt year-ago. Also nearly 77 per cent farmers had digital Farmer ID (FID) and 15 per cent were tenant farmers, sources said.

Fertiliser secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra last week appealed States to check diversion of highly subsidised fertilisers to non-farming use, and also ensure farmers practice balanced use of nutrients based on soil conditions. He also said states should promote organic/natural farming as much as possible.

While stressing that opening stock of fertilisers in the country as on October 1 will be highest in three years, he requested states to focus on curbing excess use of the crop nutrients as the subsidy in current fiscal may exceed ₹3 lakh crore in view of high global prices.

At the annual rabi conference last week, Mishra said that due to the global price hike, the per bag subsidy burden from pre-war (before February 28, 2026) and now on Urea (of 45 Kg) has surged from ₹1,350 to ₹2,775 (106 per cent up) and on DAP (50 Kg) from ₹2,102 to ₹3,523 (61 per cent up).

Published on October 5, 2026

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