The output of water soluble fertilizers in the country touched 178000 metric tonnes in 2015-16 compared to 9600 metric tonnes in 2002-03. This means an annual growth rate of over 25 percent. Giving this information in the Lok Sabha today, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Ananth Kumar said that the use of water soluble fertilizers in the country is expected to grow further because of drip and sprinkler irrigation adopted for horticultural crops.