The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has reduced its estimated requirements for urea and diammonium phosphate amid forecasts of a weaker monsoon linked to El Nino. Additional Secretary Aparna Sharma of the Fertilisers Department shared the update at a Monday briefing on regional developments.
Following consultations with states, urea needs for the Kharif season were revised downward from 194.04 lakh metric tonnes to 190.32 lakh metric tonnes. DAP requirements were also lowered from 59.17 lakh metric tonnes to 56.23 lakh metric tonnes.
Sharma noted that the Indian Meteorological Department expects reduced rainfall due to El Nino, leading to the reassessment. She added that 132.43 lakh metric tonnes of fertilizers including urea, DAP, NPKs, SSP and MOP have entered national stocks via imports and domestic output since the West Asia conflict started. India has also secured 50 lakh metric tonnes of urea, DAP and NPKs outside the Strait of Hormuz for arrival in June-July, and issued a fresh global tender for 17 lakh metric tonnes of urea.
