New Delhi, Feb 16 : Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar inaugurated a two-day conference of Vice-Chancellors of the agricultural universities on Monday.

Inaugurating the conference, Pawar said that the Integrated Farming System needs a good fertilizer policy for its support.

"The Integrated Farming System needs a good fertilizer policy for its support, the Government has recently taken a historical decision by moving to nutrient-based pricing and subsidy, and allowing additional cost of fortification and coating of fertilizers to manufactures," Pawar said.

Pawar informed that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is going to launch an Integrated Farming System Project at 31 locations in the country.

"In the Integrated Farming System approach, there is appropriate combination of crop husbandry, livestock, horticulture, vegetable, goatry, piggery, fishery, apiculture, mushroom, sericulture etc. This project will help to improve the livelihood of the farmers," Pawar said.

The Minister also informed the new policy would broaden the basket of fertilizers and enable fertilizer use as per soil and crop requirements.

"The freight subsidy on actual basis would ensure wider spread of fertilizers and their availability in distant areas from the manufacturing sites. The upward revision of rate of concession on SSP would revive SSP industry suffering sickness for long, due to ad hoc and low rate of concession. Needless to say, the SSP containing 11% sulphur would correct widespread sulphur deficiency in Indian soils as well, besides serving as a source of phosphorus, " he added.

The two-day Conference is being attended by representatives from different central ministries and institutions engaged in agricultural research and education besides the Vice-Chancellors of Agricultural Universities. (ANI)