Fertiliser output steady; govt secures 3.7 MT urea imports for kharif

The government on Thursday discounted any talk of drop in urea production in March-April, saying that production reached 3.74 million tonnes during the period, nearly matching last year's levels despite the West Asia crisis. Moreover, 3.7 million tonnes of urea has also been imported to meet the shortfall ahead of the Kharif season, it said

 

Total domestic fertiliser production (that includes DAP, NPKS and others) stood at 6.23 million tonnes during March-April, while imports were at 1.53 million tonnes.

 

"The domestic production and import of fertilisers after the crisis have been strong as ever ... approximately 7.8 million tonne of fertilisers has been added to availability in the crisis situation," said Aparna S Sharma at the inter-ministerial briefing on developments in West Asia.

   

India produced 1.64 million tonnes of urea in March and 2.1 million tonnes in April, taking the total to 3.74 million tonnes, she said.

 

The urea shortfall is being met through imports. "We floated a global tender and secured about 3.7 million tonnes of urea to meet the shortfall," she added.

 

Domestic production of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) reached 0.48 million tonnes, NPK at 1.26 million tonnes and Single Super Phosphate (SSP) at 0.74 million tonnes during the March-April period. A global tender for phosphatic fertilisers has also been floated for 1.9 million tonnes, and the availability of fertiliser raw materials is being regularly reviewed at all levels.

 

"Fertiliser availability remains robust as ever and supplies continue to exceed requirement," Sharma said.

 

For Kharif 2026, current stocks stand at 19.33 million tonnes, against a requirement of 39.04 million tonnes. This is approximately 50 per cent of the total requirement, she said. Urea availability is at 7.38 million tonnes, DAP at 2.34 million tonnes, with other fertilisers also well-stocked.

 

"This reflects improved planning, advanced stocking and efficient logistics managed by the government. The supply position continues to be strong in the states," Sharma said, adding that there has been no change in the maximum retail price (MRP) of fertilisers.