Market Development Assistance (MDA) for Promotion of Organic Fertilizers

The Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme is run by the Department of Fertilizers, under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. It seeks to expand the production and sale of organic fertilizers throughout India. The scheme sits within the wider Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARDhan) framework, which backs Bio-Gas and Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) initiatives that turn waste into wealth. Financial support under MDA goes to manufacturing-cum-marketing entities, CBG operators, Bio-gas operators, marketers and distributors dealing in Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), Liquid Fermented Organic Manure (LFOM) and enriched Phosphate Rich Organic Manure (PROM).

Eligible sales attract assistance of ₹1,500 per Metric Tonne, an incentive meant to drive market penetration and uptake of these eco-friendly products. Separately, the scheme carries a corpus of ₹3,60,00,00,000 for gap funding in research; this portion is reserved for Central and State Research Institutes or non-private fertilizer cooperatives, and is not open to individual businesses. Applicants must register their manufacturing units on the GOBARDhan portal and ensure their fertilizers meet the specifications laid down in the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO). Together these measures are intended to strengthen the organic farming sector, improve soil health and support sustainable agricultural practices across the country.

The scheme's total budget outlay is ₹14,51,82,00,000, spread over three financial years from 2023-24 to 2025-26.

- **Step 1: Complete Pre-requisite Registration on the GOBARDhan Portal:** Register your Bio-Gas or Compressed Bio-Gas manufacturing units by accessing the Unified Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan portal maintained by the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation. - **Step 2: Furnish Registration Details:** To receive the mandatory registration number, supply all requisite plant and operational particulars on the GOBARDhan portal. - **Step 3: Communicate Willingness:** Send a physical letter to the Department of Fertilizers stating your intention to market the organic fertilizers. - **Step 4: Attach Annexures:** For formal approval, enclose the operational details sought under Annexure-I (applicable to Fertilizer Marketing Companies) or Annexure-II (applicable to Manufacturers) together with the intimation letter. - **Step 5: Enrol on the IFMS Portal:** Sign up on the newly launched module of the Integrated Fertilizer Management System portal. A unique identification number will be assigned to your manufacturing units by the Department of Fertilizers. - **Step 6: Upload Operational Data:** With the assigned identification number, upload particulars on the IFMS portal covering organic fertilizer production quantity, sales, Maximum Retail Price, remaining stock, and quality certificates. - **Step 7: Conduct Quality Testing and Certification:** Arrange batch-wise or dispatch-wise quality testing at accredited laboratories. Secure validation of the test reports from the State Agriculture Department or State Energy Development Agency in order to obtain the 'B2-MDA' certificate. - **Step 8: Raise Benefit Claims:** Through the Integrated Fertilizer Management System portal, generate Direct Benefit Transfer claims using the prescribed Annexure, within two months from the month of sale. - **Step 9: File Claim Documentation:** To receive the financial disbursement, submit to the Department of Fertilizers a copy of the Quality Certificate along with the claim for Market Development Assistance payment for that particular month.

Selection under Market Development Assistance depends on whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria and complies with quality and marketing standards. There is no competitive shortlisting; the exercise is one of verification and claim settlement. Applicants move through several stages of registration and data submission on government portals.

Verification covers the setting up and running of Bio-Gas/CBG plants under the GOBARDhan initiative, confirmation that organic fertilizers conform to Fertilizer Control Order specifications, and mandatory quality testing at accredited laboratories. Validated sales data and quality certificates form the basis for raising and filing claims on the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (IFMS) portal. Once compliance and sales are confirmed, assistance is released through Direct Benefit Transfer.