Fertilizers play an increasingly important role in agricultural production as the opportunity to bring new l under cultivation diminishes. The use of this input in India began in the early part of this century. From 1942 it has received increasing importance in the food production programmes of the country. Though a vast growth of fertilizer use has taken place between 1952-53 1973-74, a substantial acceleration in fertilizer use is required to raise the level of its use up to the need-based estimates in various years of the 1970s. To accomplish this, policies in three directions will have to be vigorously pursued. These directions are: 1) continuous enlargement in the availability of fertilizers, 2) creation of adequate efficient networks for the distribution of fertilizers, 3) generating continuous growth in cultivators' dem for fertilizers.