New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI): India has sufficient stocks of urea and DAP (Diammonium Phosphate) ahead of the Kharif season, even as domestic production faces temporary disruptions amid ongoing tension in the West Asia region, the Union Government said on Monday.

Speaking at a joint inter-ministerial briefing in the national capital, Aparna S Sharma, Joint Secretary of the Department of Fertilisers, said, 'Urea and DAP are being made available to farmers at regulated prices: Rs 266 per 45 kg bag of Urea, and Rs 1,350 per 50 kg bag of DAP.'

She added that there was a significant surge in the prices of all these commodities in the global fertiliser market, and freight and related costs also rose amidst the prevailing situation.

'Other key feedstocks such as ammonia, sulfur, and sulfuric acid are also of critical importance to us for our domestic production, which has been impacted. Amidst the prevailing situation, there has been a significant surge in the prices of all these commodities in the global fertiliser market, and our freight and related costs have also risen. Domestic urea production has been impacted...' Sharma said.

Sharma added that the domestic urea production was impacted, resulting in a temporary initial decline in output of approximately 30,000 to 35,000 tonnes per day.

'Our domestic urea production has been impacted, resulting in a temporary initial decline in output of approximately 30,000 to 35,000 tonnes per day. The overall requirement for the upcoming Kharif season, as projected by the Department of Agriculture, stands at 390 lakh tonnes. In comparison, the actual sales during the Kharif season last year amounted to 361 lakh tonnes. Currently, we possess adequate stocks compared to last year,' she added.

She further elaborated that the gas supply, which had previously been disrupted and reduced to 60 per cent, was gradually recovered.

'Our overall stock position as of today stands at 180 LMT (Lakh Metric Tonnes), up from 147 lakh tonnes last year, indicating that our stock levels are in a very healthy position. Regarding domestic production, the gas supply, which had previously been disrupted and reduced to 60%, has gradually recovered, rising first to 65% and now reaching 80%,' she said.

The official emphasised efforts to maintain supply continuity, stating, 'We are maintaining close contact with all our major suppliers specifically for urea and DAP to ensure that adequate stocks of key fertilisers remain available to us, whether through tenders, supplementary support, or long-term supply agreements.'

In a move to reduce reliance on Gulf region imports, Sharma said, 'As a protective measure, we are actively working to diversify our sourcing base beyond the Gulf countries by establishing supply channels with other nations such as Russia, Morocco, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Canada, Algeria, Egypt, and Togo, among others. Through our diplomatic missions abroad, the Department is in constant communication with local Indian missions to identify and secure alternative supply sources.' (ANI)