No shortage of fertilisers for kharif season: Mansukh Mandaviya
Chemical and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Tuesday there will be no shortage of fertilisers during the ensuing kharif season, adding that India has signed a long-term agreement with Jordan-based companies for supply of fertilisers, including 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate).
“I have come back from Jordan after signing a long-term agreement for supply of 30 lakh metric tonnes of rock phosphate of the best grade. Besides, an agreement has also been signed for 2.75 LMT MOP [muriate of potash] and 2.5 LMT of DAP… The agreement is for five years,” he told reporters.
“Our companies would get an assured supply,” the minister said, adding that similar MoUs would be signed with other countries to boost supply of fertilisers.
A high-level delegation led by Mandaviya visited Jordan from May 13-15 “for enhanced cooperation” in the fertiliser sector amid a global fertilizers “crisis”. He said the MoUs have been signed with Jordan Phosphate Mining Company for supply of 30 LMT rock phosphate, 2.50 LMT DAP, 1 LMT phosphoric acid for the current year. India has also signed a long-term MoU for 5 years with Jordan for annual supply of 2.75 LMT MOP, which will uniformly rise every year up to 3.25 LMT, he said. “Currently, we receive supply from there but it is not long term.”
The delegation visited the JPMC mines and phosphoric acid production facilities set up by Jordan India Fertiliser Company. It also visited Arab Potash headquarters.
The development comes at a time when fertilizer supply has been disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine war and prices of the nutrients in the international market have risen sharply in recent months.
Asserting that there would be no shortage of fertilisers during kharif season this year, Mandaviya said the Narendra Modi government is “a pro-poor and pro-farmer government” and is “committed to providing assured supply of fertilisers to the farmers”.
“There is no shortage of fertilisers in the country,” Mandaviya said, adding that the government has taken “proactive measures” to ensure adequate supply to the farmers ahead of the kharif season, both by ramping up domestic production and partnerships with other countries.
“In several countries, rationing of fertilisers is being done but we have not taken any such step in India,” Mandaviya said. He said fertiliser supply has been affected because of the Russia-Ukraine war. Several companies were trying to get benefit out of this situation by raising their prices, he said.
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