Enough fertilisers for kharif season: Centre

India will have sufficient stocks of key fertilisers for the kharif (summer-sown) season beginning next month and won’t need to import at least two types of crop nutrients as they are aplenty, Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers and health, Mansukh Mandaviya, said on Wednesday

India will have sufficient stocks of key fertilisers for the kharif (summer-sown) season beginning next month and won’t need to import at least two types of crop nutrients as they are aplenty, Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers and health, Mansukh Mandaviya, said on Wednesday.

The country’s food security is closely linked to availability of fertilisers, which are federally subsidised for millions of farmers. (HT)

The country’s food security is closely linked to availability of fertilisers, which are federally subsidised for millions of farmers. India relies on imports to meet its total demand. Global prices rocketed in 2022 due to the Ukraine conflict, stretching the government’s estimated spending on crop-nutrient subsidies for 2022-23 to a record ₹2.5 lakh crore.

“The planning is complete. There will be sufficient stocks to meet demand comfortably for the entire kharif season (April to September),” Mandaviya said. He added that he expected a lower fertiliser subsidy bill in the next financial year.

Half of India’s annual food supply comes from summer crops.

A latest World Bank food-security update on March 9 said many countries still faced hunger risks because “fertiliser prices still remain 80 to 100 percent higher than 2020 levels”.

“India won’t need to make spot imports of urea for the entire season and there are enough stocks to last six months,” Mandaviya said. The estimated urea demand is 17.9 million tonne, while domestic output is pegged at 13.9 million tonne. An opening balance of 5.5 million tonne will take total availability to a surplus 19.4 million tonne, data from the ministry showed.

The country will also more or less meet the demand for the NPKS type of chemicals without any major import. The demand for NPKS fertilisers is estimated to be 6.3 million tonne. Domestic output is estimated to be 4.9 million tonne, apart from an opening balance of 2.8 million tonne. In all, total supplies for the season are pegged at 7.7 million tonne.

For other key fertilisers, India’s imports for the season have been secured, while domestic output is on track, the minister said.

India’s better stocks position this year comes on the back of higher domestic output of nano urea, a highly efficient novel form of the nutrient. To hedge against price and supply swings amid a lumbering Russia-Ukraine conflict and other ongoing geopolitical risks, the Modi government has signed several long-term import deals at pre-negotiated rates with several nations. The fertiliser ministry in coordination with the external affairs ministry has overseen a slew of these deals. Indian firms have for the first time finalised investments in several North African mineral-rich nations, part of measures aimed at securing long-term supplies.