New Delhi: India will by the top of 2025 cease importing urea as a large push for home manufacturing has helped bridge the hole between provide and demand, Chemical substances and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has mentioned.
In an interplay with PTI, the minister famous that the provision of fertilisers is essential for Indian agriculture. He mentioned the nation has been utilizing chemical fertilisers for the final 60-65 years to boost crop manufacturing. Now, Mandaviya mentioned, the federal government is making efforts to advertise alternate fertilisers like nano liquid urea and nano liquid di-ammonium phosphate (DAP). (Additionally Learn: Apple Laid Off Over 600 Staff As Automobile, Smartwatch Initiatives Stopped)
“Use of alternate fertilisers is sweet for crops and soil well being. We’re selling it,” he mentioned. Requested about reaching self-sufficiency in urea manufacturing, Mandaviya mentioned the Modi authorities has adopted a two-pronged technique to finish dependency on urea imports. (Additionally Learn: RBI To Quickly Launch App To Allow Retail Traders To Take part In Govt Bonds)
The minister highlighted that the federal government has revived 4 closed urea vegetation and is reviving each other manufacturing unit. He famous that India wants round 350 lakh tonnes of urea yearly to fulfill home demand. Mandaviya mentioned the put in home manufacturing capacities have been elevated to round 310 lakh tonne from 225 lakh tonne in 2014-15.
“At current, the hole between annual home manufacturing and demand is round 40 lakh tonne,” the minister mentioned. Mandaviya mentioned the annual home manufacturing capability of urea would attain round 325 lakh tonnes after the commissioning of the fifth plant and the goal is to interchange using 20-25 lakh tonne of typical urea with nano liquid urea.
“Our agenda could be very clear. By the top of 2025, Modiji will finish the nation’s import dependency on urea,” he mentioned whereas asserting that the import invoice of urea would develop into zero. In keeping with the federal government knowledge, imports of urea fell to 75.8 lakh tonne in 2022-23 from 91.36 lakh tonne within the earlier yr.
Urea imports stood at 98.28 lakh tonne in 2020-21, 91.23 lakh tonne in 2019-20 and 74.81 lakh tonne in 2018-19. Mandaviya highlighted that the Modi authorities within the final 10 years has ensured an satisfactory provide of fertilisers for the agriculture sector.
He mentioned the Centre additionally protected Indian farmers from a pointy rise in costs of fertilisers in international markets by rising the subsidy on key crop vitamins. For 2024-25, the federal government has allotted a fertiliser subsidy of Rs 1.64 lakh crore as in opposition to the revised estimates of Rs 1.89 lakh crore for the 2023-24 fiscal.
In 2022-23, the fertiliser subsidy had shot as much as Rs 2.55 lakh crore. Final month, Mandaviya had knowledgeable that India’s typical urea consumption is estimated to have declined 25 lakh tonne over the past fiscal on enhance in demand of nano liquid urea and the federal government’s efforts to discourage using chemical fertilisers.
Urea consumption stood at 357 lakh tonne throughout 2022-23. Cooperative organisation IFFCO had launched nano liquid urea a number of years again. It has additionally supplied expertise to another corporations to arrange nano urea plant.
A complete of seven crore nano urea bottles (of 500 ml every) have been bought through the August 2021 and February 2024 interval. One bottle of nano urea is equal to at least one bag (45 kg) of typical urea.
The federal government has additionally launched ‘PM Programme for Restoration, Consciousness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mom Earth’ (PM-PRANAM) scheme to incentivise states and Union Territories (UTs) to advertise the utilization of different fertilisers and balanced use of chemical fertilisers.
Beneath the Urea Subsidy Scheme (USS), urea is supplied to the farmers at a statutorily notified Most Retail Value (MRP). The distinction between the urea MRP and the manufacturing price is being paid to producers.
In addition to, below the Nutrient Based mostly Subsidy Coverage, a hard and fast quantity of subsidy is notified on an annual/semi-annual foundation, which ensures availability of P&Okay (phosphatic and potassic) fertilizers at cheap costs to farmers. Urea is imported on a authorities account.
Nevertheless, all P&Okay fertilisers (DAP, MOP and NPK) are coated below Open Common License (OGL) below the Nutrient Based mostly Subsidy (NBS) Scheme and they’re imported by the fertilizer corporations on commercially viable phrases.
