Punjab using 76% more fertiliser per hectare than national average: Govt in Rajya Sabha
The all-India per hectare consumption of nutrients for the year 2023-24 is around 139.81kg whereas the per hectare consumption of nutrients for Punjab for the year 2023-24 is around 247.61kg
Average consumption of fertilisers at the all-India level stood at nearly 140 kg per hectare during 2023-24, while the consumption in Punjab was 247.61 kg per hectare, the government said on Tuesday.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Union minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers Anupriya Patel said, “The all-India per hectare consumption of nutrients for the year 2023-24 is around 139.81kg whereas the per hectare consumption of nutrients for Punjab for the year 2023-24 is around 247.61kg.”
She was answering a question, whether Punjab is the leading consumer of fertilisers in terms of per kilo gram per hectare which is 9% of the whole fertilisers used in the country. “The Punjab government has “informed that no report/research of cancer cases have been reported from the parts of Punjab where excessive phosphate fertiliser is in use”, Patel added.
India imported 18.65 lakh tonne urea and 22.58 lakh tonne phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers from China during 2023-24, the government added.
Patel said, “Government of India through Department of Fertilizers imports urea (agriculture purpose) on government account to bridge the gap between production and assessed demand.”As per the data, the country imported 70.42 lakh tonne urea in 2023-24 for USD 2.6 billion. Of this, India imported 18.65 lakh tonne urea from China valuing USD 730 million.
{{/usCountry}}Patel said, “Government of India through Department of Fertilizers imports urea (agriculture purpose) on government account to bridge the gap between production and assessed demand.”As per the data, the country imported 70.42 lakh tonne urea in 2023-24 for USD 2.6 billion. Of this, India imported 18.65 lakh tonne urea from China valuing USD 730 million.
{{/usCountry}}“So far as P&K fertilizers are concerned, these grades of fertilizers are covered under Open General Licence (OGL) under the Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS). They are imported by the companies on their commercially viable terms,” Patel said.
The value of imported P&K fertilizers is not maintained in the department.
India imported a total of 106.53 lakh tonne P&K fertilisers in 2023-24, of which 22.58 lakh tonne came from China.