Will stop importing urea by 2025 as domestic production up: Govt

New Delhi, April 5

India will by the end of 2025 stop importing urea as a massive push for domestic manufacturing has helped bridge the gap between supply and demand, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said.

In an interaction with PTI, the minister noted that the availability of fertilisers is very important for Indian agriculture. He said the country has been using chemical fertilisers for the last 60-65 years to enhance crop production. Now, Mandaviya said, the government is making efforts to promote alternate fertilisers like nano liquid urea and nano liquid DAP. “Use of alternate fertilisers is good for crops and soil. We are promoting it,” he said.

Asked about achieving self-sufficiency in urea production, Mandaviya said the Modi government has adopted a two-pronged strategy to end dependency on urea imports. He highlighted that the government has revived four closed urea plants and is reviving another factory. He noted that India needs around 350 lakh tonnes of urea annually to meet domestic demand.

Mandaviya said the annual domestic production capacity of urea would reach 325 lakh tonnes after the commissioning of the fifth plant and the target is to replace the use of 20-25 lakh tonne of conventional urea with nano liquid urea.