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India plans to double its budgeted 2021-22 fertiliser subsidies.
India plans to double its budgeted 2021-22 fertiliser subsidies to a record of more than 1.55 trillion rupees (US$20.64 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, to avoid potential shortages amid a sharp increase in global prices of chemicals, fertiliser and fuels.
India, a large-scale importer of urea, is also a major buyer of diammonium phosphate (DAP) needed to power a huge agriculture sector which employs about 60% of the country’s workforce and accounts for 15% of the US$2.7 trillion economy.
For many years India has capped the price of urea at 5,360 rupees (US$71.36) per tonne, while global market prices have surged to around $990/tonne. India imports about 30% of the estimated 35 million tonnes of urea it consumes annually.
According to government data, urea prices surged by an annual 144% in October to US$690/tonne, while DAP prices rose by 84.3% on delivered basis to US$682/tonne.
India does not control prices of DAP but raises the subsidy to keep an indirect check on retail prices.
Subsidies are delivered via the government providing financial support to companies such as National Fertilizer Ltd, Madras Fertiliser Ltd, Rashtriya Chemical & Fertilisers Ltd, Chamabal Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd that all sell fertilisers at below-market rates.
Globally, fertiliser prices have risen about 200% over the past year following record price rises for source ingredients coal and natural gas, alongside new export restrictions on fertilisers by China and Russia.
Government sources suggest that India imports an average 60% of the 10-12 million tonnes of its annual DAP consumption, with around 40% of this volume coming from China.
Large volumes are already being delayed because of the export restrictions, so the government is enhancing the subsidy to fertiliser importers.
One source says, “We have asked some NPK manufacturers to switch to production of DAP,” adding the fertiliser ministry has also augmented supplies to the districts with low stocks on a priority basis.
However, farmers in India have complained about difficulties in getting DAP, noting that demand rises during October and November, the peak season for planting wintersown cereal crops like wheat.
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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