Over a period of two years, 2044 model fertiliser retail shops have been made operational by the Department of Fertilisers, Government of India, Minister of State for Planning (IC) and Chemicals & Fertilisers, Rao Inderjit Singh said in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian Parliament on Friday.

During Union Budget 2016-17, it was announced that over a period of three years, 2000 model fertiliser retail shops would be opened across the country.

Model fertiliser retail shops provide mandatory services like selling of quality fertilisers at genuine rates, soil testing, seed testing, promotion of balanced use of nutrients among other services. Some optional services are also provided through these shops like hiring of equipment such as tractors, laser levelers, rotavator, crop harvester and thrashers, hiring of sprayers, sale of small implements like spades and sickles among other implements, the Minister said.

State-wise details of model Fertiliser retail shops