Lok Sabha Question No. 3291 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Promotion of Research and Innovation
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya, Anil Firojiya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3291 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 05.08.2022

## Promotion of Research and Innovation

3291: SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA: SHRI ANIL FIROJIYA

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) takenlproposed to be taken by the Government to strengthen the participation of industry and academia for promoting research and innovation in the fertilizer sector;
- if so, the details thereof; 8 the steps taken by the Government to support and make India self-reliant; and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS

## (SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA)

- (a) & (b): The Government of India (Gol) is encouraging new innovative products in the fertilizer sector. Gol is including innovative new fertilizers in Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) 1985 by on the basis of agronomic efficacy data:

Gol has incorporated soil specific and crop specific customed fertilizers, Nano fertilizer Micronutrient fertilizer, Beneficial element fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, fortified fertilizer etc. in the FCO 1985,

- (c) & (d): India is 90% import dependent in case of Phosphate, either on raw material or finished fertilizer and 100% in case of Potash at present. However; the Govt. of India has taken following steps to increase the domestic production of fertilizers and make it selfreliant:

## Lonq Term Aqreement:

Various efforts by DoF to ensure regular and sufficient supply of DAP and its raw materials to India at reasonable prices from various countries which is an ongoing process.

## Other efforts made

- a. DoF granted permission to Madhya Bharat Agro product Limited Unit-Il, Banda Sagar; MP for production of 1,20,000 MT per annum:
2. b Paradeep Phosphates Ltd is  expected to manufacture  additional DAPINPK complex to the tune of 8 LMT per annum utilizing the 2 trains of ZACL Goa Plant:
- C. A new DAPINPK Plant by RCF with annual capacity of 5 LMT and investment of 950 crore in Thal is expected to start production in 2024.
- d. A new DAPINPK Plant by FACT with annual capacity of 5.5 LMT at a cost of Rs 537 cr. Commissioning in June 2024.
5. e Potash Derived from Molasses   (0-0-14.5-0) , which is a 100% indigenously manufactured fertilizer, has been included under NBS scheme

Further; under New Investment Policy (NIP) 2012, Matix Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. and Chambal Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. (CFCL) have set up urea plants of 12.7 Lakh Metric Ton per annum (LMTPA) capacity each at Panagarh-West Bengal and Government has mandated revival of Ramagundam (Telanagana) , Gorakhpur (UP), Sindri (Jharkhand) and  Talcher (Odisha) units of Fertilizer   Corporation Barauni  (Bihar) Unit of Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (HFCL) through Joint Venture Company (JVC) of nominated PSUs by setting up new ammonia-urea plants of 12.7 LMTPA capacity each: Out of these five plants , Ramagundam and Gorakhpur plant have already been commissioned. Also; a new urea plant of 8.646 LMTPA capacity in the existing premises of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Corporation Limited (BVFCL) has been approved. Also,

In addition to above; the Government of India has also notified the New Urea Policy (NUP) 2015 on 25th 2015 for existing 25 gas based urea units with the objective of maximizing indigenous urea production; promoting energy efficiency in urea production; and rationalizing subsidy burden on the Government The implementation of NUP-2015 has led to additional production from the existing gas based urea units due to which the actual production of urea has increased by 20-25 LMTPA in comparison to the actual production during 2014-15. May,

Predicting the demand-supply gap and increased of the imported urea, in 2021-22 one-time   permission was granted to the urea units set up under the new investment   policy and the units converted recently from naphtha to natural gas as feedstock to  produce beyond their  annual installed capacity. This   helped additional production of 1.51 Lakh Metric Ton (LMT) of Urea; Further; urea unit of Matix Fertilizers and since November 2017 was facilitated in restarting its production. Matix restarted production in September 2021 and produced 6.29 LMT urea during 2021-22. means of various review meetings from time to time instructed all the urea units not to take any planned shutdown and optimize their urea production: These measures together led to the urea production of 250.72 LMT during 2021-22 which is the highest production, so far. price

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