India imports 46.14 lakh tonnes of urea in Apr-Nov this fiscal

Urea production reached 187.21 thousand tons during the period from April to November of this fiscal year, while imports amounted to 46.14 thousand tons to meet local demand.

In a written response in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwanath Khoba shared data on consumption, production and import of urea in the past three years.

According to the data, urea production amounted to 250.72 thousand tons in the 2021-22 fiscal year, compared to 246.05 thousand tons in 2020-21 and 244.58 thousand tons in the 2019-20 fiscal year.

Urea imports amounted to 91.36 thousand tons in the last fiscal year, 98.28 thousand tons in 2020-21 and 91.23 thousand tons in 2019-20.

Urea is currently sold in 45 kg bags and the maximum retail price (MRP) is $242 per bag (excluding duties on neem coating and taxes as applicable).

“The subsidy for each 45kg bag of urea is around 1,800 rupees (Q1 2022-23),” the minister said.

The difference between production cost and MRP is compensated as subsidy to fertilizer manufacturers.