Basavaraj Bommai, the Chief Minister, laid the foundation stone for a nano urea liquid plant at the Hi-Tech Defence and Aerotech Park in Naganayakanahalli, Devanahalli Taluk, Bangaluru Rural district. "The foundation for South India's first nano urea plant will be laid in Bangalore on July 14 with an investment of around 350 crore," IFFCO said.
IFFCO stated that it plans to build an additional eight plants across the country with a capacity of 34 crore bottles (500 ml) per year. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has allotted a 12-acre plot of land near Devanahalli to the IFFCO for its nano urea (liquid) project.
According to an IFFCO statement, "we will complete this project within 15 months." Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, as well as Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya, will be in attendance.
This nano urea plant, once operational, will produce nearly five crore bottles per year for farmers in Karnataka and South India, which is equivalent to five crore bags (22.5 lakh MT) of conventional urea, according to IFFCO.
According to IFFCO representatives, a 500 ml bottle of nano urea (liquid) can effectively replace a 45 kg bag of urea. It is priced 10% less than a standard one-bag of urea, thereby fulfilling the national spirit of `Atmanirbhar Krishi & Atmanirbhar Bharat.'
The world's first nano urea plant, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat, has produced 4.5 crore bottles and has been marketed across the country, replacing 4.5 crore bags of conventional urea. According to IFFCO, its nano urea (liquid) has the potential to reduce the use of conventional urea, the most commonly used Nitrogenous fertilizer, by 50% or more.
According to the company, nano urea improves crop productivity, soil health, and nutritional quality of produce, and it aims to address the imbalanced and excessive use of conventional urea fertilizer by allowing farmers to achieve the dual benefit of higher crop yields at lower costs and a cleaner environment.
Nano fertilizer application is foliar in nature, and spraying nanoparticles on the leaves results in a high yield. As a result, the soil is not contaminated, reducing soil toxicity and thus soil imbalance. Furthermore, the rate and pattern of nano fertilizer release are precisely controlled. According to IFFCO, nano urea (liquid) is less expensive than urea and significantly reduces the government's subsidy burden.
