No Iran war impact as fertiliser output reaches 24.23L tons in last 3 weeks
Steps taken to ensure smooth gas supply to fertiliser units, says Union Minister Anupriya
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: India produced 24.23 lakh tonnes of fertiliser, including urea and DAP, in the first three weeks of March, notwithstanding the gas supply crunch amid the West Asia crisis, Parliament was informed on Friday.
Of which, urea production was 13.55 lakh tonnes, while Di ammonium Phosphate (DAP)/NPK and Single Super Phosphate (SSP) were at 7.62 lakh tonnes and 3.06 lakh tonnes, respectively, during March 1-24, Minister of State for Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said in her written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Highlighting the steps taken to ensure smooth gas supply to fertiliser units, the minister said the government has notified fertiliser as a priority sector, ensuring at least 70 per cent gas supply. "Gas allocation to the fertilizer units has been maintained at 65 per cent of their past six-month average consumption, considering the operational availability," she said.
To further augment supplies to the Fertilizer sector, an additional 7.31 MMSCMD of natural gas has been procured through the EPMC (Empowered Pool Management Committee) bidding process for the period from March 18 to 31.
"This has resulted in an increase in total gas availability to the Fertilizer sector to 80 per cent of their past six-month average consumption," she noted.
As of March 23, urea stock was 53.08 lakh tonnes, DAP 21.80 lakh tonnes, Muriate of Potash 7.98 lakh tonnes and NPKs 48.38 lakh tonnes.
The Department of Fertilisers has secured long term agreements and memoranda of understanding with resource rich nations to ensure a stable supply for domestic production of fertilisers and thus mitigate geopolitical risks, an official statement said.
To boost domestic substitution, the government is encouraging capacity expansion under the Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme, Union Minister JP Nadda said in Lok Sabha.
The government reiterated its commitment to ensuring fertiliser availability while tackling import dependence and soil nutrient imbalance, the statement from Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said.
Estimated import shares for fertiliser-raw material in CY2024 25 include rock phosphate at 86 per cent, sulphur at 52 per cent, natural gas for the urea sector at 78 per cent, ammonia for complex fertilisers at 75 per cent, phosphoric acid at 52 per cent and muriate of potash at 100 per cent.
India continues to rely significantly on imports for key fertilizer raw materials and intermediates due to limited domestic reserves.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recommends soil test–based balanced fertilization and is complemented by the balanced application of NPK fertilisers rather than excessive reliance on nitrogen alone.
“Efficient fertiliser use is encouraged through practices such as split application of nitrogen, proper placement of fertilizers, and the use of slow-release fertilisers, neem-coated urea, and nitrification inhibitors to minimize nutrient losses,” the statement said.
ICAR also engaged in capacity building through farmer training, demonstrations, and awareness programmes to help reduce excessive urea consumption, ensure balanced nutrient application, and improve soil health.
