Govt To Import 17 Lakh Tonnes Of Urea; Assures Comfortable Fertilizer Stock For Kharif Season

In an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia, Bandana Preyashi, the joint secretary in the department of fertilisers informed that the agriculture ministry has reassessed fertiliser requirements at 383.9 lakh tonnes for the current kharif (summer-sown) season. “Overall stock position of fertilisers in the country is comfortable,” Preyashi said.

Against this projected demand, Preyashi also said that the stock, as of today, is 196.65 lakh tonnes, significantly higher than the usual level of about 33 per cent. Farmers have already bought. “This reflects improved planning, advanced stocking, and efficient logistics management by the government,” the joint secretary said.

On the sales front, she also said that farmers have already purchased 102.78 lakh tonnes of chemical fertilisers in the ongoing kharif season, which is around 37 per cent of the total requirement. “Pending consumption is 281.12 lakh tonnes, and out of that we have 196 lakh tonnes available today,” she said, adding that the stock position is comfortable because of domestic production as well as imports.

During this ongoing crisis period, Preyashi said the country has secured more than 50 lakh tonnes of urea and P&K (phosphatic and potassic) fertilisers. “The government entity has floated a tender to import 17 lakh tonnes of urea and the same is in the process of finalisation,” she said.

State-owned National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), which recently floated a tender to import 17 lakh tonnes of urea, has received bids for over 60 lakh tonnes with the lowest rate of about USD 445 per tonne from global trading companies. Apart from chemical nutrients, Preyashi also said that farmers have purchased 11.82 lakh tonnes of organic manure so far, compared to 3.31 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period last year. “The stock of organic manure is about 22.60 lakh tonnes,” she said.

The joint secretary also said that this substantial increase in sale of organic manure indicates a gradual shift in farmers' preference from chemical fertilisers to organic alternatives. “At present, we see no major challenge to the availability of fertilisers for the ongoing kharif season,” she asserted.