Review of Agriculture

THE principal thrust of ofiiciaKpoIicy in regard to chemical fertilisers has been three-fold; to step up their consumption, to expand their indigenous production and to cover the gap between consumption and production through imports. Towards these ends, fertiliser producers have been assured a fixed rate of return, while farmers have been supplied fertilisers at prices below their cost of production or cost of procurement from abroad through the device of a government subsidy; and, finally, the required amounts of foreign exchange have been made available from year to year to finance fertiliser imports.