The Union Minister for health and family welfare and chemicals and fertilisers, Jagat Prakash Nadda, on Saturday said that the government is taking steps to secure fertiliser imports from regions outside the Strait of Hormuz.
“The ongoing West Asia crisis has affected global supply chains linked to the fertiliser and pharmaceutical sectors, but I assure you that the Government of India has taken adequate measures to ensure that farmers and consumers do not face any hardship,” said Nadda while talking to the media in Shimla.
Nadda said the government had adopted a multi-pronged approach to safeguard supplies of medicines, medical devices and fertilisers. “Despite the West Asia crisis, we have ensured that there will be no shortage of medicines, medical devices or fertilisers in India. Our farmers and citizens will not face any difficulty, and we have already diversified our supply sources to safeguard national interests,” said the minister.
“We have moved towards alternative sources of fertilisers and are issuing fresh tenders with countries such as Indonesia, Australia, Russia and China, which are outside the Strait of Hormuz route. We have sufficient fertiliser stocks for the ongoing Kharif season and are already preparing for the Rabi season,” he said.
The Union minister asserted that the Centre’s focus was not on predicting the duration of the crisis but on ensuring uninterrupted supplies for citizens. “We are not asking whether the crisis will last 15 days or one month. Our priority is that our people should not face any difficulty,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The Union minister asserted that the Centre’s focus was not on predicting the duration of the crisis but on ensuring uninterrupted supplies for citizens. “We are not asking whether the crisis will last 15 days or one month. Our priority is that our people should not face any difficulty,” he added.
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