Market Development Assistance (MDA) for Promotion of Organic Fertilizers

The Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme, introduced by the Department of Fertilizers under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, aims to boost the production and sale of organic fertilisers across India. It functions within the Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARDhan) framework, which encompasses Bio-Gas and Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) initiatives focused on converting waste into resources. The scheme provides financial support to manufacturing-cum-marketing entities, CBG operators, Bio-gas operators, marketers, and distributors involved in selling Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), Liquid Fermented Organic Manure (LFOM), and enriched Phosphate Rich Organic Manure (PROM).

Assistance is offered at ₹1,500 per Metric Tonne for eligible sales. A corpus of ₹3,60,00,00,000 is set aside for gap funding in research, though this is reserved for Central and State Research Institutes or non-private fertiliser cooperatives. Applicants must register their manufacturing units on the GOBARDhan portal and ensure their products meet the specifications under the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO).

The scheme has a total budget outlay of ₹14,51,82,00,000, spread across three financial years from 2023-24 to 2025-26.

1. Register on the GOBARDhan portal, operated by the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, to enrol your Bio-Gas or Compressed Bio-Gas production facilities. 2. Furnish complete plant and operational particulars on the GOBARDhan portal to secure the compulsory registration number. 3. Communicate your intent to sell organic fertilisers by submitting a physical letter to the Department of Fertilizers. 4. Include the requisite operational information as specified in Annexure-I (for Fertilizer Marketing Companies) or Annexure-II (for Manufacturers) with the intimation letter to seek formal clearance. 5. Enrol on the newly launched module of the Integrated Fertilizer Management System portal. The Department of Fertilizers will issue a distinct identification number for your production units. 6. Utilise the assigned identification number to enter data on organic fertiliser output, sales figures, Maximum Retail Price, inventory levels, and quality certifications on the IFMS portal. 6. Arrange for batch-wise or dispatch-wise quality checks at recognised laboratories. Secure endorsement of test results from the State Agriculture Department or State Energy Development Agency to obtain the 'B2-MDA' certificate. 7. Generate Direct Benefit Transfer requests via the Integrated Fertilizer Management System portal using the specified Annexure within two months from the month of sale. 8. Forward a copy of the Quality Certificate along with the Market Development Assistance claim for the relevant month to the Department of Fertilizers to receive the financial payout.

Selection for Market Development Assistance is a verification and claims-processing exercise rather than a competitive evaluation. Applicants must first meet the eligibility criteria and conform to prescribed quality and marketing standards. The process involves multiple stages, beginning with registration and data submission through government portals. Authorities check that Bio-Gas/CBG plants are established and operating under the GOBARDhan initiative, that organic fertilisers comply with Fertilizer Control Order specifications, and that mandatory quality testing is completed at accredited laboratories.

Validated sales data and quality certificates form the basis for generating and submitting claims through the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (IFMS) portal. Once compliance and sales figures are confirmed, assistance is released through Direct Benefit Transfer.