India imported around 18.6 lakh tonne urea worth $730 million (Rs 6,127 crore) from China during 2023-24. Another 22.6 lakh tonne phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers was imported from China, the govt informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. In a written reply, MoS for chemicals and fertilisers Anupriya Patel said that India imports urea (agriculture purpose) on govt account to bridge the gap between production and assessed demand.
The data submitted to the Upper House mentioned that India imported 70.4 lakh tonne urea in 2023-24 for $2.6 billion (Rs 21,827 crore). Similarly, 106.5 lakh tonne P&K fertilisers was imported during the last financial year. The ministry said that value of imported P&K fertilisers is not maintained in the department.
“So far as P&K fertilisers are concerned, these grades of fertilisers are covered under Open General Licence (OGL) under the Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS). They are imported by the companies on their commercially viable terms,” Patel said.
The minister said that in order to attain self-sufficiency in urea in the country, govt mandated revival of Ramagundam (Telangana), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sindri (Jharkhand) and Talcher (Odisha) units of Fertiliser Corporation of India and Barauni (Bihar) unit of Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation through Joint Venture Company of nominated PSUs for setting up new ammonia-urea plants of 12.7 lakh tonne per annul capacity each.