Urea, DAP kept affordable for farmers despite a global price surge: PM Modi in his Red Fort address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the government had ensured the availability of urea and DAP- the two most widely used fertilisers- to farmers at affordable prices despite a sharp rise in global prices amid geopolitical tensions.

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Modi said the government had followed the mantra of "Nagrik Devo Bhava" (May the citizen be treated as God), taking measures to ease the impact of global disruptions.

"We never thought this problem (the West Asia crisis) would arise. But during this period of crisis, all these efforts have helped ease the burden. Today, there is gas, petrol and urea available in our country," he said.


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The prime minister said global disruptions had affected countries across the world, including India, but the government had taken steps to maintain adequate supplies of urea and Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) even as international prices climbed.

"The global price of urea touched Rs 3,000 per bag, but we did not let farmers bear this burden. The government is absorbing the cost. Urea that costs Rs 3,000 per bag globally is being given to our farmers at Rs 300 per bag," he said.

"Not only this, the global price of DAP has risen to Rs 5,000 per bag, but we are distributing it to farmers at Rs 1,350 per bag," Modi said.

Modi also reiterated the need to reduce India's dependence on imports and move towards self-reliance as the country works towards achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047.