Fertiliser Imports In April-Nov Stand At 16.17 Mn Tn.

India imported 16.17 million tonnes of fertilisers in April-November this fiscal, almost equal to total import of 16.38 million tonnes farm nutrients in the entire 2009-10, the Economic Survey said.

The import of Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) in the first eight months of 2010-11 fiscal stood at 6.81 million tonnes have already surpassed the import of 5.88 million tonnes in the entire previous year.

The sharp rise in imports of DAP is because of estimated decline in domestic production in 2010-11 and rising demand. DAP output is likely to fall to 3.95 million tonnes this year as against 4.24 million tonnes in the previous year.

The country has imported 4.58 million tonnes of urea during April-November period of this fiscal as against 5.2 million tonnes in the entire last year.

During the period under review, imports of MOP (muriate of potash) stood at 4.78 million tonnes as compared with 5.28 million tonnes.

Urea production in 2010-11 fiscal is estimated to go up to 21.53 million tonnes from 21.11 million tonnes in previous year, while that of complex fertilisers increased from 8.03 million tonnes to 9.16 million tonnes.

"Availability of raw material/intermediaries has been a major bottleneck in the increase in production of fertilisers," the survey pointed out.

India is meeting 85 per cent of its urea requirement through indigenous production, but is largely dependent on import for meeting the phosphorus and potassium requirements either as finished fertilisers or raw materials.

"The entire requirement of potash, about 90 per cent of phosphatic and about 20 per cent of urea is met through imports," the survey said.

The farmers bear only 25-40 per cent of the actual cost and the rest is borne by the government in the form of subsidy reimbursed to the manufacturers and importers.

Source : indianexpress.com