World Class Urea Plant Near Bidadi Soon: Ananth Kumar.

A urea factory of international standards will be set up near Bidadi soon, said Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers Ananth Kumar. He was speaking at the valedictory of the Krishi Mela 2015, held at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in the city recently.

'Before the BJP government came to power at the Centre, urea factories in the country were on the verge of closing down, so much so that the urea was actually being imported. Also, the urea that was manufactured here was being used by other industries, due to which farmers were facing a shortage.

'However, after the BJP came to power, an order was passed to coat urea with neem. Due to this, there has been no shortage this year. Also, we have asked the Karnataka government for around 500 acres of land. Once this is allotted, a urea factory of international standards will be set up near Bidadi, which will be able to produce around 13 lakh tonnes per year,' he said.

The Bengaluru South MP said the next edition of the Krishi Mela must also have a separate facility to educate farmers about soil health. “December 5 is World Soil Health Day and it is important that farmers are aware of the different methods of improving the soil. The cost for this will be borne by the Centre,” he said.

“Also, waste generation and processing in Bengaluru has become a problem. Compost, which can be used for agriculture, can be generated through waste. In this regard, if anyone is willing to set up a compost plant, the Centre is willing to provide 70 per cent of the cost,” he added.

Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, said, 'The Krishi Mela must spread to other districts so that more farmers participate.'

On the occasion, two state-level awards for the best farmers were given to Basavaraj Navhi of Gadag and Shobha Ashok of Dakshina Kannada districts by Canara Bank.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS