Factors influencing fertilizer production and consumption in India

The studies were conducted to find out the trends in production and consumption of fertilizers and also to examine the effects of various factors viz., price, area under high yielding varieties, gross irrigated area and subsidy on its consumption. The time series data from 1975–76 to 1999–2000 was taken into account for the study. The results indicated that consumption of fertilizers increased at the rate of 11% over the period under report whereas the growth rate for fertilizer production was 10.6%. Among the factors affecting fertilizer consumption, subsidy emerged to be the most important factor followed by area under high yielding varieties and gross irrigated area. Farmers should be exhorted to go for balanced use of fertilizers, increasing area under high yielding varieties and harnessing avatIable irrigation potential.