New Delhi, June 11 -- In what may cause consternation among farmers, the Union government plans to cap subsidised fertilizer distribution and instead link allocation of soil nutrients to crop requirements and sowing patterns specific to different regions, two people said.

The move is aimed at controlling excessive fertilizer use, aligning domestic agricultural practices with India's export ambitions, optimising the use of soil nutrients through scientific planning, and curbing India's rising subsidy burden, one of them said.

The plan is currently under inter-ministerial consultation, this person added.

If the government goes ahead with this plan, soil nutrients will be allocated to farmers through point-of-sale units in their villages ...