No acute shortage of fertilisers; availability of DAP for rabi season more than demand: Centre

The government on Friday said there has been no acute shortage of essential fertilisers in the country and it has made a sufficient supply of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), a key crop nutrient, to meet the requirement during the ongoing rabi (winter-sown) season.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, "There has been no acute shortage of essential fertilisers in the domestic across the country. However, in between the season, some states highlighted shortfall of DAP fertilisers, particularly in few districts."

Accordingly, based on the requests of state governments, DAP rakes were moved to meet the requirement.

"The overall availability of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser in the country is comfortable during the ongoing Rabi season 2021-22," he added.

During the ongoing rabi season 2021-21 (October 1 to November 29), against the DAP requirement (pro-rata) of 34.65 lakh tonnes, the Department of Fertilisers has ensured availability of 36.60 lakh tonnes to the states.

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"Further, overall fertiliser availability in the country has also remained comfortable," the minister said.

Urea is provided to all the farmers across the country at a statutory 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) with effect from March 1, 2018.

The P&K fertilisers (phosphatic and potassic) are decontrolled and are covered under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme.

During April-October period of the current fiscal year, 29.59 lakh tonnes of DAP have been imported. In the full 2020-21 fiscal, 48.70 lakh tonnes of DAP were imported.