India eyes self-sufficiency milestone in urea within 4 years

The country’s food security is closely linked to sufficient availability of a range of fertilisers, which are federally subsidized for millions of farmers.

India is hoping to end its reliance on imported urea within the next four years by expanding output of a locally developed version of the key crop nutrient, known as nano urea, an official said requesting anonymity. Self-sufficiency in urea will save the government nearly ₹40,000 crore.

India’s food security is closely linked to sufficient availability of a range of fertilisers. (PTI)

The country’s food security is closely linked to sufficient availability of a range of fertilisers, which are federally subsidized for millions of farmers.

India, the world’s largest buyer of urea and di- ammonium phosphate, has been hit by a sharp rise in global fertiliser prices this year due to supply disruptions. Costlier raw materials, higher freight charges as well as sanctions on Russia, a major fertilizer exporter, are likely to keep fertiliser prices elevated, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Prices of some crop nutrients have stabilized in the past two months from multi-year highs earlier.

Higher domestic output of conventional urea plus indigenously developed nano urea will be sufficient to replace the entire imported quantity of area, according to projections of the fertilizer ministry headed by Mansukh Mandaviya.

Domestically produced nano urea, whose patent is held by the fertilizer cooperative IFFCO, will replace approximately 20 million tonnes of conventional urea India imports each year, according to the ministry’s calculations.

India started nano urea production on August 1, 2021. Nano urea is a locally developed highly efficient form of the plant nutrient which fulfils nitrogen requirements in crops. One 500ml bottle of the nano variant is equivalent to one bag of conventional urea.

Eight new nano urea plants, which are being centrally monitored, will start production by November 2025. These are located in several states, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

Six upcoming conventional urea plants with capacity of about 1.3 million tonnes each will also help to achieve the self-sufficiency milestone by 2024-25. These will be commissioned this year at Barauni and Sindhri.

The eight plants will produce about 440 million nano urea bottles per annum, which will be equivalent to 20 million tonnes of conventional urea, according to the ministry’s projections. “When this milestone is achieved, the country’s dependence on imports will end,” the official said.

To boost the indigenous production of nano urea, two central public sector undertakings -- National Fertilisers and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers -- have signed non-disclosure agreements and memorandum of understandings with IFFCO, which holds the proprietary rights, to transfer the technology of nano urea. IFFCO is the country’s largest crop nutrient cooperative.