Fertiliser availability comfortable, stocks remain above normal levels

Healthy nutrient reserves and robust procurement plans reassure cultivators ahead of peak seasonal sowing across agricultural regions

Commodity Desk

MUMBAI

The government on Monday said fertiliser availability in the country remains comfortable with no immediate concerns over shortages, as stock levels have crossed 51% of the annual requirement ahead of the crucial kharif sowing season.

 According to the Department of Fertilisers, the current annual assessment for fertiliser requirement stands at 390.54 lakh metric tonnes, while available stocks are estimated at 200.12 lakh metric tonnes.  Officials said this is significantly higher than the normal benchmark level of around 33%, indicating a strong supply position across categories. 

 Aparna S. Sharma, Additional Secretary in the Department of Fertilisers, said domestic production and imports have remained robust in the post-crisis period, helping maintain adequate supplies in the system. She said domestic fertiliser production during the current period stood at around 95 lakh metric tonnes, while imports touched 22.60 lakh metric tonnes. Together, these added nearly 117.6 lakh metric tonnes to the country’s overall fertiliser availability base.

The government also highlighted adequate procurement of key nutrients required for the upcoming kharif cropping season. This includes 13.5 lakh metric tonnes of DAP and 9 lakh metric tonnes of complex fertilisers such as NPK.  Officials said raw material availability for fertiliser manufacturing remains comfortable and is being monitored regularly to avoid any supply disruptions during peak agricultural demand. 

 Category-wise, urea production stood at 57.66 lakh metric tonnes, while imports were recorded at 13.60 lakh metric tonnes.  DAP production was reported at 7.93 lakh metric tonnes, along with imports of 0.88 lakh metric tonnes. Production of NPK fertilisers stood at 18.71 lakh metric tonnes, while imports were recorded at 4.44 lakh metric tonnes.

 Single super phosphate production touched 10.70 lakh metric tonnes, with no imports during the period. Potassium chloride, also known as muriate of potash, remained fully import-dependent, with imports at 3.68 lakh metric tonnes. The government said the overall fertiliser position remains stable and sufficient to meet farmer demand during the ongoing agricultural cycle.

(With inputs from IANS)