Fertilizer supply, production comfortable, says Sadananda Gowda

With demand for fertilizer increased due to widespread monsoon, production and movement of fertilizers remain comfortable across the country despite Covid-19 pandemic, said Union Chemicals and Fertilizer Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.

"Production and movement of fertilizers remain comfortable across the country. 2019-20 (saw) record high urea production of 244.55 lakh tonne as compared to 240 lakh tonne during 2018-19", Gowda said.

There would be no scarcity of fertilizers this year also, he said.

Urea production rose to record 244.55 lakh tonne in 2019-20 while sales increased 5 per cent to 336.97 lakh tonne, according to government data.

"While sales and consumption of urea reached 336.97 (lakh metric tonne) LMT as compared to 320.20 LMT of the previous year i.e. 2018-19," Gowda said.

During April-June 2020, total fertilizers production touched 101.15 lakh tonne, which is 2.79% higher than the corresponding period of last year. Urea output was at 60.38 lakh tonne, which is 8.40% higher than June quarter 2019.

"Sales and consumption of different fertilizers substantially increased during 2019-20 as compared to 2018-19," he said.

Urea sales increased 5.29 % at 336.97 lakh tonne while demand of diammonium phosphate (DAP) increased by 15.67% to 101.04 lakh tonne in 2019-20.

Sales of muriate of potash (MOP) were up 3.45 % at 27.91 lakh tonne while that of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur (NPKS) fertiliser rose 9.95 % to 105.18 lakh tonne, he said.