Deficient rainfall coupled with the decreased area under cultivation in some parts of the state will affect the sale of fertilisers, the Gujarat State Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd (Gujcomasol), has said.

“Due to smaller area under cultivation in some parts of the state, including north, south and central Gujarat, we expect a reduction of about 15 per cent in the sale of fertiliser this year,” said Manoj Patel, CEO of Gujcomasol, the largest supplier of fertilisers in Gujarat.

He added: “The company sells about nine lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers in the kharif and rabi seasons. We have been able to reach the target in the kharif season, but in the regions where people are dependent on rainwater, we expect a drop in sales during the rabi season.”

The sale of fertiliser has been increasing consistently over the years. In 2003-04, the sale of fertilisers was around 10,57,397 MT, which increased to 16,38,033 MT in 2007-08.

The Rs 1,500 crore company is engaged in the distribution of all kinds of fertiliser through its three-tier channel to farmers throughout the state.

Gujcomasol has around 5,000 cooperative societies and 2.5 crore farmers are associated with it. At places where there are no cooperative societies, Gujcomasol sells its seeds and fertilisers through depots. There are around 100 such depots in the state and the company plans to set up another 20 in the current year. Gujcomasol contributes about 55 to 60 per cent of the total consumption of fertiliser in Gujarat.

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