The government has announced the Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna (PMBJP) scheme. Under this scheme, all fertiliser products should be sold under the single “Bharat” brand from October 2. The union government has instructed all fertiliser manufacturing companies in India to follow this. However, companies have raised concerns.
The companies say that it will affect the branding of their brand and rapport with farmers. Under this scheme, the government gives subsidies to fertiliser companies which in turn reach farmers. The new directions by the government instruct those who sell urea DAP(di-ammonium phosphate), NPK (nitrogen phosphorus potassium) or MOP (muriate of potash) to add the prefix “Bharat”. For instance, the products will be called Bharat Urea, Bharat DAP etc… Also, they will have to put up the PMBJP scheme’s logo on the fertiliser bags.
According to the instructions, companies are allowed to display their name, logo and other product information only on one-third of the bag. The “Bharat” prefix and PMBJP logo will take the remaining two-thirds of the space. The manufacturers fear that it would bring unnecessary uniformity to the market and thus reduce their brand’s visibility in the market.
