FAI chief advocates strategic land use for fertiliser efficiency

Panaji: Director general of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI), SK Chaudhari, emphasised the importance of clearly demarcating land use for conventional and organic farming to improve fertiliser efficiency.Chaudhari spoke at the inauguration of the Management Development Programme (MDP) at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Goa, on Tuesday. He took charge as the FAI head in February.“Such measures are essential to ensure the sustainable and efficient use of fertilisers in Indian agriculture,” he said, providing a detailed perspective on the current fertiliser industry landscape.The event featured technical sessions, including expert talks by Gopal Mahajan on fertiliser use under climate-smart agriculture and Murtaza Hasan (IARI, New Delhi) on smart urban farming.Participants toured ICAR Goa’s demo units, which included coconut-based natural farming systems, organic input recycling, and the livestock waste valorisation system. The special focus was on PROM (Phosphourja), a phosphate-rich organic manure, highlighting its effectiveness and commercial potential.