Skewed fertiliser use continues in India as farmers buy more urea
Farmers purchased 80% of the estimated monthly urea demand in the first three weeks of August, compared with other crop nutrients
Indian farmers have bought 80% of the estimated monthly demand for urea in the first three weeks of August, surpassing the demand for other fertilizers like di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), complex fertilizers, and muriate of potash (MoP). According to the latest sales data, urea consumption stood at 30.6 lakh tonnes, DAP at 6.8 lakh tonnes, MOP at 1.2 lakh tonnes, and complex fertilizers at 8.5 lakh tonnes.
The government had estimated the demand for August at 38.01 lakh tonnes of urea, 9.81 lakh tonnes of DAP, 3.27 lakh tonnes of MOP, and 15.27 lakh tonnes of complex fertilizers. Industry experts argue that the skewed usage of fertilizers can only be rectified by rationalizing the retail prices of all fertilizers, even with ongoing subsidies.
The current pricing policy makes urea the cheapest, even cheaper than edible salt. The government has initiated a pilot project linking fertiliser sales with land records of farmers in 56 districts across 22 states, aiming for a nationwide rollout if stakeholders agree.
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