Mumbai, June 23: The Maharashtra government has fixed the price of single superphosphate (SSP) fertiliser at Rs 3,265 per tonne (powder) and Rs 3,505 for the granulated SSP. This includes a Rs 600 per tonne subsidy on the decontrolled fertiliser.

The fertiliser industry has expressed dissatisfaction over the "paltry" rise as the price is much lower than that fixed by other states. Industry sources said that they will represent their case to the state government to ensure a "better" price for the next season of rabi.

The industry has demanded a hike by Rs 350 per tonne to overcome the rise in input costs.The minister of state for agriculture, Harshvardhan Patil told The Financial Express that the price has been hiked by Rs 120 on the previous kharif price of Rs 3,145. The revised price, finalised by a high-level committee, was the lowest compared to other states.

Karnataka has fixed SSP price at Rs 3,450 per tonne, Andhra Pradesh at Rs 3,500, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat at Rs 3,440 and Orissa and Bihar at Rs 3,600 per tonne.

Patil said that the actual increase would be Rs 20 per tonne (excluding a rise in subsidy worth Rs 100) and a mere Re 1 per 50 kg bag. He said five lakh tonnes would be required during the kharif season while the total need of the state would be nine lakh tonnes.

Major producers of decontrolled fertilisers include Zuari Agro, Dharamsi Morarji Chemicals Company, Rama Phosphates, EID Parry and SPIC. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are the major consumers of SSP.

The delay in declaring the kharif price for SSP fertiliser by almost a month had hit state manufacturers and farmers. A stock of over 50,000 tonne of SSP is lying unused. Another issue that has created confusion is that the new price is not effective retrospectively.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.