Parliament Question: Stocks of Fertilizers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5699 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 27.03.2026 Stocks of Fertilizers 5699: SHRI ANAND BHADAURIA: Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state: (a) the details of reserved stocks of various fertilizers available as on the date in India, fertilizer-wise; (b) whether India is heavily reliant on the Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE from which it sources over forty to sixty three per cent of urea and phosphatic fertilizers like DAP, NPK etc. from this region; (c) if so, the details of imports of various fertilizers during the last three years and the current year from these countries, country-wise, year-wise and fertilizer-wise; (d) the details of the emergency diversification plan of the Government to alternative sources such as Russia, North Africa, etc. for import of fertilizers; (e) the details of plans to ramp up domestic production; (f) the details of the timeline and adequacy of buffer stocks beyond current levels; and (g) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to shield farmers from cost escalation and subsidy implications? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL) (a) & (f) Before the commencement of each cropping season, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), in consultation with all the State Governments, assesses the State-wise & month-wise requirement of fertilizers. Further, based on requirement projected by DA&FW, D/o Fertilizers allocates adequate quantities of fertilizers to States by issuing monthly supply plan and continuously monitors the availability.However, the gap between demand (requirement) and production for fertilizers is met through imports well in advance to ensure adequate and timely availability of fertilizers. Accordingly, the information regarding requirement, availability, sales and available stock of fertilizers i.e. Urea, DAP, MOP and NPKS during the ongoing Rabi 2025-26 season in the country is as under: ALL INDIA FERTILIZER POSITION FOR RABI 2025-26 (TILL 23/03/26) FIG. IN LMT Pro rata Availability Sales From Requirement From Stock as on S. No Product From 01/10/25 01/10/25 to 01/10/25 to 23/03/26 to 23/03/26 23/03/26 23/03/26 1 UREA 192.20 250.26 197.21 53.08 2 DAP 52.80 74.74 52.94 21.80 3 MOP 15.23 19.07 11.10 7.98 4 NPKS 80.57 114.96 66.61 48.38 (b) to (d) India is dependent on imports of Urea and Phosphatic fertilizers to meet its demand. To ensure a stable and assured supply in view of this dependency, Department of Fertilizers has facilitated the signing of Long Term Agreements (LTAs) between Indian companies viz. KRIBHCO, IPL & CIL and M/s Maaden, Saudi Arabia for the supply of 31 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of DAP/NPK annually to India over a five-year period from 2025-26 to 2029-30. Further, Country-wise imports of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOP and NPK) form the period of 2022-23 to 2025-26 (till February 2026) is placed at Annexure. (e) With regard to Urea, the Government had announced New Investment Policy (NIP) 2012 on 2nd January, 2013 and its amendment on 7th October, 2014 to facilitate fresh investment in the urea sector and to make India self-sufficient in the urea sector. Total 6 new urea units have been set up under NIP-2012 which includes 4 urea units set up through Joint Venture Companies (JVC) of nominated PSUs and 2 urea units set up by the private companies. The units set up through JVC are Ramagundam urea unit of Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd (RFCL) in Telangana and 3 urea units namely Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni of Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar, respectively. The units set up by private companies are Panagarh urea unit of Matix Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. (Matix) in West Bengal; and Gadepan-III urea unit of Chambal Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. (CFCL) in Rajasthan. Each of these units has installed capacity of 12.7 Lakh Metric Tonne per annum (LMTPA). These units are highly energy efficient as they are based on latest technology. Therefore, these units have together added urea production capacity of 76.2 LMTPA, thereby total indigenous urea production capacity (Reassessed Capacity, RAC) has increased from 207.54 LMTPA during 2014-15 to 283.74 LMTPA during 2023-24. Further, an exclusive policy for the revival of Talcher unit of FCIL through JVC of nominated PSUs namely Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL) by setting up a new Greenfield Urea plant of 12.7 LMTPA at coal gasification route has also been approved. Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for setting up of a new Brownfield Ammonia-Urea Complex of 12.7 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) annual capacity of Urea production within the existing premises of BrahmaputraValley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), Namrup, Assam namely Assam Valley Fertilizer and Chemical Company Ltd. (AVFCCL). In addition, the Government also notified the New Urea Policy (NUP) - 2015 on 25thMay, 2015 for the existing 25 gas-based urea units with one of the objectives of maximizing indigenous urea production beyond RAC. The NUP-2015 has led to additional production of urea by 20-25 LMT as compared to the production during 2014-15 annually. Above steps together have facilitated increase of Urea production from level of 225 LMT per annum during 2014-15 to a record Urea Production at 314.07 LMT during 2023-24. During 2024-25, 306.67 LMT of Urea was produced in the country. Further, the Government has implemented Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme w.e.f. 01.04.2010 for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers. Under the Scheme, P&K fertilizers are covered under Open General License (OGL) and companies are free to import/manufacture these fertilizers as per their business dynamics. To reduce dependence on imported Phosphatic fertilizers and make country self- reliant the following measures have been taken by the Government: (i) D/o Fertilizers has issued guidelines 18.01.2024 to ensure reasonableness of MRP and encourage domestic production. (ii) Based on the requests, the new manufacturing units or increase in manufacturing capacity of existing units have been recognized / taken on record under the NBS Scheme. (iii) The number of P&K fertilizers covered under NBS policy has increased from 22 grades in 2021 to 28 grades. (iv) Freight Subsidy on SSP, which is an indigenously manufactured fertilizer, has been approved since Kharif, 2022 to promote SSP usage for providing Phosphatic or 'P' nutrient to the soil. (g) Under the Urea Subsidy Scheme, Urea is provided to the farmers at a statutorily notified Maximum Retail Price (MRP). The MRP of 45 kg bag of urea is Rs.242 per bag (exclusive of charges towards neem coating and taxes as applicable). The difference between the delivered cost of urea at farm gate and net market realization by the urea units is given as subsidy to the urea manufacturer/importer by the Government of India. Accordingly, all farmers are being supplied urea at the subsidized rates. Also, the Government has implemented Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme w.e.f. 01.04.2010 for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers. Under NBS policy, MRP of P&K fertilizers is decontrolled and companies are free to fix MRP as per their business dynamics at a reasonable level which is monitored by the Government. The subsidy is provided to manufacturer/ importer on notified P&K fertilizers on its PoS sale during the season, depending on their nutrient content to ensure affordability of these fertilizers to farmers. Further, to make DAP which is a key fertilizer, available at affordable price of Rs. 1350 per 50 kg bag, special provisions like Rs. 3500 per MT to cover 'Other Costs' which includes costs incurred from factory gate to farm gate,advantage/disadvantage due to increase / decrease in international prices, provision for GST component included in the MRP and provision for reasonable return @ 4% of net MRP (MRP-GST) have been extended to both imported and domestic DAP and imported TSP over and above NBS subsidy for Kharif 2025 and Rabi 2025-26 seasons. *******Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to parts (b) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 5699 for answering on 27.03.2026 Country Wise Import of Fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOP and NPK) during 2022-23 to 2025-26 ( Till Feb 2026) <Figures in Lakh MT) Country 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 (Till FEB-2026) Name Urea DAP MOP NPK Urea DAP MOP NPK Urea DAP MOP NPK UREA DAP MOP NPK Algeria 3.07 0.35 2.17 0.26 Australia 1.51 1.82 3.80 Bahrain 1.77 0.94 1.17 2.04 Brunei 1.51 Canada 7.20 7.39 0.09 8.83 4.82 China 12.80 12.17 0.83 18.65 22.28 0.30 0.99 8.47 0.77 21.24 5.11 0.28 9.61 Egypt 2.63 0.92 0.18 0.47 0.44 1.93 0.44 Estonia 0.09 Finland 7.69 1.41 0.33 5.45 Germany 0.64 Georgia 1.98 0.44 1.24 Indonesia 1.34 0.27 2.16 2.14 0.97 0.28 6.14 1.21 Israel 0.44 6.38 3.08 2.80 2.57 Jordan 1.65 4.09 0.12 1.74 4.31 2.39 3.01 1.72 2.39 Libya 0.42 Nigeria 1.39 2.83 3.59 Malaysia 1.59 1.42 1.91 3.50 Morocco 17.47 11.13 10.74 17.56 Oman 19.60 0.14 19.53 26.13 15.50 Qatar 5.02 1.70 3.70 8.42 Russia 6.26 9.24 0.85 22.21 15.73 3.41 12.36 17.04 9.23 2.69 18.00 18.27 13.99 7.55 12.97 21.00 Saudi-Arabia 4.61 21.22 2.70 2.36 16.29 2.69 5.38 19.05 3.40 5.27 24.36 1.99 Senegal 0.06 South Korea 1.07 1.37 Turkey 0.32 0.41 0.28 Turkmenistan 0.41 2.77 4.69 TUNISIA 0.85 UAE 4.16 5.08 3.25 3.04 USA 0.49 1.28 0.31 0.5 0.40 Vietnam 1.31 0.17 2.54 Grand Total: 75.8065.83 18.66 27.52 70.42 55.67 28.69 22.1756.4745.6935.41 22.72 97.99 61.6727.72 35.46