With reference to chemical fertilisers in India, consider the following statements:
- At present, the retail price of chemical fertilisers is market-driven and not administered by the Government.
- Ammonia, which is an input of urea, is produced from natural gas.
- Sulphur, which is a raw material for phosphoric acid fertiliser, is a by-product of oil refineries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect
- In India, the retail price of chemical fertilizers, especially urea, is regulated by the government under the Fertilizer Subsidy Scheme. The government sets maximum retail prices (MRP) for key fertilizers like urea and provides subsidies to manufacturers, allowing them to sell below market rates, ensuring affordability for farmers and boosting agricultural productivity.
Statement 2 is correct
- Ammonia is a vital industrial chemical, predominantly produced through Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) to generate hydrogen, followed by the Haber-Bosch process to synthesise the ammonia.
Statement 3 is correct
- Sulphur is a by-product produced in various refineries processing high-sulphur crude oil. Sulphur is produced from the sulphur-rich fuel gas as a process to reduce the emission level of sulphur in the atmosphere along with flue gases from the furnaces. It has been a key raw material for the fertiliser and chemical industries. It is the primary source for sulphuric acid, the world’s most widely used chemical, in a host of manufacturing processes. Sulphuric acid is used by the fertiliser industry to manufacture primarily phosphates and phosphoric acid, as well as other fertilisers such as ammonium sulphate.
