Both products have got intrinsic values because of which they are popular among farmers. The government support is not available to these products because they are deemed low analysis, high cost in terms of nutrients. Currently these products need reconsideration and encouragement on merits.

AS supplies 206 kilograms nitrogen in IT, all in ammoniacal form. The use efficiency of AS in wetland paddy and copiously irrigated crops like sugarcane, potato, tobacco and onion is 80 per cent to 85 per cent. Thus 165 kg of nitrogen is utilised by the crops. In case of urea, use efficiency in these crops is nearly 35 per cent. Urea supplies 462 kg of nitrogen per tonnes but utilisednitrogen is 162 to 165 kg. Urea costs us Rs 6,500 per tonne and AS costs Rs 4,500 per tonne. Until we increase use efficiency of urea in these crops, AS should be preferred material on merit and cost basis for these crops. Additionally, AS supplies 240 kg sulphur per tonne which is playing a vital role in sugarcane, potato, onion and other crops. Out of total area under rice, nearly eight million hectare is under wetland rice for which (at the rate of 100 kg nitrogen per hectare) four million tonne of AS is required. Requirement of AS for sugarcane, potato and onion is also in the region of 2.5 to three million tonne. We have capacity of 0.9 million tonne AS in India and produce 0.65 to 0.70 million tonne every year. We must increase AS capacity of existing plants in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Kerala to the extent possible and also create new capacity in eastern and southern India of three to four million by setting up new plants.

Quite a few farmers have been traditionally applying ASand SSP to certain crops including chillies, other vegetables, fruits which is known as a pair. This practice ha survived for the last 50 years and is based on genuine needs of crops of particular type of nitrogen, phosphate and sulphur. Production of AS in larger quantities will give opportunity for further establishment of SSP. SSP supplies 12 per cent sulphur in addition to 16 per cent water soluble phosphate and is also preferred material for oil seeds, pulses and commercial cash crops including sugar cane, potato, onion, fruits and vegetables. This product has a checkered history in India for last 92 years. Currently, the capacity of this product is six million tonne, production is 3.6 million tonne. Capacity is grossly under utilised because of various problems including lack of price and subsidy parity with DAP, small units facing management, financial and raw material problems. The product needs genuine encouragement and proper policy. This product utilises Udaipur Rock phosphate and indigenousspent/dilute sulfuric acid which is other wise a pollution hazard. Setting up a SSP and sulfuric acid plant unit is possible in 12 to 15 months. The technology is totally indigenous and investment is low as compared to complex fertilisers. A unit of 200 tonne per day SA, 600 SSP and 400 tonne per days granulation can be set up with an investment of Rs 19 crore to Rs 20 crore. The cost of production per unit of P205 is cheaper in SSP than in most complex fertilisers except DAP. The world over, there is a trend to produce more SSP. Europe is going in for new big SSP plants. SSP Industry is well established in Brazil, Egypt, China, Australia and New Zealand.