India, April 6 -- Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Beej Anusandhan Kendra, a seed research centre to boost agricultural productivity and innovation, at the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) Kalol unit in Gujarat's Gandhinagar.

"Earlier, fertilizers were high in cost and low in efficiency. IFFCO has reversed that - making them low-cost and high-efficiency," Shah said addressing the gathering. Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel also attended the event that also celebrated IFFCO's 50-year journey as a cornerstone of India's cooperative and agricultural sectors.

Shah said that India has achieved self-reliance in food grain production, crediting IFFCO for its ...