Lok Sabha Question No. 2383 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Implementation of the Nutrient based Subsidy Scheme
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Appalanaidu Kalisetti

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2383 TO BE ANSWERED ON : 13.02.2026 Implementation of the Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme

## 2383. SHRI APPALANAIDU KALISETTI:

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

- (a)  the total amount of subsidy disbursed under Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme during the last five years, year-wise;
- (b)  the rates of subsidy notified under NBS for the Kharif and Rabi seasons during the last five years, nutrient-wise and fertilizer-wise;
- (c)  the number of fertilizer manufacturers and importers registered under the said scheme during the said period, year-wise;
- (d)  whether there has been any change in the retail prices of DAP and other major P&K fertilizers  in  the  open  market  during  the  last  five  years  and  if  so,  the details thereof, fertilizer-wise and year-wise;
- (e)  the mechanism adopted by the Government to monitor and regulate market prices of NBS covered fertilizers to ensure affordability for farmers; and
- (f) whether any audits or assessments have been conducted by the Government to  evaluate  the  effectiveness  of  the  said  scheme  in  promoting  balanced fertiliser usage and reducing urea overuse, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a): The details of total expenditure incurred under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme during the last five years i.e. 2020-21 to 2024-25 are attached as Annexure-I . (b): The rates of subsidy notified under NBS for the Kharif and Rabi seasons during the last five years, nutrient-wise and fertilizer-wise is given at Annexure-II . (c): The  number  of  fertilizer  manufacturers  and  importers  registered  under  NBS scheme, over and above those already registered, since 2020-21 till 2024-25 is given at Annexure-III .

(d): The details of product wise average MRP of major fertilizers from 2020-21 to 202425 (as per available records) is given at Annexure-IV .

(e): In  Phosphatic  &  Potassic  (P&K)  fertilizers,  Government  has  implemented Nutrient Based Subsidy Policy w.e.f. 01.04.2010.  Under NBS policy, P&K fertilizers are decontrolled and companies are allowed to fix MRP at reasonable levels as per the  business  dynamics.  However,  in  order  to  ensure  availability  of  fertilizers  at affordable prices to farmers, Government has issued guidelines dated 15.11.2019 and  18.01.2024  to  evaluate  reasonability  of  MRPs  fixed  by  the  P&K  fertilizer companies. As per the guidelines, any profit earned by P&K fertilizer companies over and above fixed margin is recovered.

(f): A third party study had been conducted by M/s SANTEK on impact of NBS policy in 2020. The study has shown that use of Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers helped in improving productivity in the farm land and multi-nutrient deficiency of the soil. The consumption of NPK fertilizers rose from 281.22 LMT in 2010-11 to 290.39 LMT in 2019-20. As per the report, there is a substantial increase in production of major crops since inception of NBS scheme.

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Annexure-I Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 2383 for answering on 13.02.2026

Total expenditure incurred under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme during the last five years i.e. 2020-21 to 2024-25 are as follows:

(Figures in Rs. crore)

| Financial Year   |    Total |
|------------------|----------|
| 2020-21          |  37303.7 |
| 2021-22          |  52726.3 |
| 2022-23          |  86122.2 |
| 2023-24          |  65199.6 |
| 2024-25          |  52810   |
| Grand Total      | 294162   |

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 2383 for answering on 13.02.2026

## (i) Nutrient-wise NBS subsidy rates (in Rs./Kg)

| Nutrients       |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022 (kharif) |   2022 (Rabi) 01.1022 to 31.12.22 |   2022 (rabi) 01.01.23 to 31.03.23 |   2023 (Kharif) |   2023-24 (Rabi) |   2024-25 Kharif |   2024-25 Rabi |   2025 Kharif |   2025-26 Rabi |
|-----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|
| 'N' (Nitrogen)  |    18.789 |    18.789 |           91.96 |                             98.02 |                              99.27 |           76.49 |            47.02 |            47.02 |          43.02 |         43.02 |          43.02 |
| 'P' (Phosphate) |    14.888 |    45.323 |           72.74 |                             66.93 |                              49.94 |           41.03 |            20.82 |            28.72 |          30.8  |         43.6  |          47.96 |
| 'K' (Potash)    |    10.116 |    10.116 |           25.31 |                             23.65 |                              25.7  |           15.91 |             2.38 |             2.38 |           2.38 |          2.38 |           2.38 |
| 'S' (Sulphur)   |     2.374 |     2.374 |            6.94 |                              6.12 |                               2.84 |            2.8  |             1.89 |             1.89 |           1.76 |          2.61 |           2.87 |

## (ii) Fertilizer-wise NBS subsidy rates (in Rs./MT)

|   Sl. No. | Fertilizer Grades (N P K S nutrient)   | Fertilizer Grades (N P K S nutrient)   |   2020- 21 |   2021- 22 |   2022 (Kharif) |   2022 (Rabi) |   2022 (rabi) 01.01.23 to 31.03.23 |   2023 (Kharif) |   2023-24 (Rabi) |   2024 (kharif) |   2024- 25 Rabi |   2025 Kharif |   2025-26 Rabi |
|-----------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|------------|------------|-----------------|---------------|------------------------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------|----------------|
|         1 | DAP                                    | (18-46-0-0)                            |      10231 |      33000 |           50013 |         48433 |                              40841 |           32641 |            22541 |           21676 |           21911 |         27799 |          29805 |
|         2 | MAP                                    | (11-52-0-0)                            |       9809 |      25635 |           47940 |         45588 |                              36889 |           29748 |            15999 |           20108 |           20748 |         27404 |          29671 |
|         3 | TSP                                    | (0-46-0-0)                             |       6848 |      20849 |           33460 |         30789 |                              22972 |           18872 |             9578 |           13212 |           14168 |         20056 |          22062 |
|         4 | MOP                                    | (0-0-60-0)                             |       6070 |       6070 |           15186 |         14188 |                              15420 |            9547 |             1427 |            1427 |            1427 |          1428 |           1428 |

## Annexure-II

|   5. | SSP                                                     |   (0-16-0-11) |   2643 |   7513 |   7513 |   7513 |   7513 |   6872 |   3540 |   4804 |   5121 7263 |   7408 |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|-------------|--------|
|    6 | 16-20-0-13                                              |          6292 |  12379 |  30164 |  29866 |  26240 |  20808 |  11933 |  13514 |  13272 |       15942 |  16848 |
|    7 | 20-20-0-13                                              |          7044 |  15131 |  33842 |  33787 |  30211 |  23868 |  13814 |  15395 |  14993 |       17663 |  18569 |
|    8 | 20-20-0-0                                               |          6735 |  12822 |  32940 |  32991 |  29842 |  23504 |  13568 |  15148 |  14764 |       17324 |  18196 |
|    9 | 28-28-0-0                                               |          9430 |  17951 |  46116 |  46188 |  41779 |  32906 |  18995 |  21208 |  20670 |       24253 |  25474 |
|   10 | 10-26-26-0                                              |          8380 |  18293 |  34689 |  33353 |  29593 |  22453 |  10734 |  12788 |  12928 |       16257 |  17390 |
|   11 | 12-32-16-0                                              |          8637 |  20377 |  38362 |  36965 |  32005 |  24854 |  12686 |  15214 |  15399 |       19495 |  20890 |
|   12 | 14-28-14-0                                              |          8215 |  16737 |  36785 |  35775 |  31479 |  24424 |  12746 |  14958 |  14980 |       18564 |  19785 |
|   13 | 14-35-14-0                                              |          9258 |  19910 |  41877 |  40460 |  34975 |  27296 |  14203 |  16969 |  17136 |       21616 |  23142 |
|   14 | 15-15-15-0                                              |          6569 |  11134 |  28502 |  28290 |  26237 |  20015 |  10533 |  11718 |  11430 |       13350 |  14004 |
|   15 | 17-17-17-0                                              |          7445 |  12619 |  32302 |  32063 |  29735 |  22683 |  11937 |  13281 |  12954 |       15130 |  15871 |
|   16 | 19-19-19-0                                              |          8321 |  14103 |  36102 |  35835 |  33233 |  25352 |  13342 |  14843 |  14478 |       16910 |  17738 |
|   17 | Ammonium Sulphate (20.5-0-0-23)                         |          4398 |   4398 |  20448 |  21503 |  31004 |  16325 |  10074 |  10075 |   9224 |        9419 |   9479 |
|   18 | 16-16-16-0(w.e.f. 1.7.2010)                             |          7007 |  11876 |  30402 |  30177 |  27986 |  21349 |  11235 |  12499 |  12192 |       14240 |  14938 |
|   19 | 15-15-15-9 (w.e.f. 1.10.2010)                           |          6783 |  11348 |  29126 |  28841 |  26492 |  20267 |  10703 |  11889 |  11588 |       13585 |  14262 |
|   20 | 24-24-0-0(from 1.10.10 to 29.5.12 and w.e.f. 22.6.2012) |          8082 |  15387 |  39528 |  39590 |  35810 |  28205 |  16282 |  18178 |  17717 |       20789 |  21835 |

|   21. | 24-24-0-8 (wef 12.11.13 to 14.2.15) without subsidy on S    | 8002   | 15387   | 39528   | 39590   | 35810   | 28429   | 16433   |   18178 |   17717 |   20789 |   21835 |
|-------|-------------------------------------------------------------|--------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
|    22 | 14-28-0-0 (w.e.f. 1.4.2020)                                 | 6799   | 15321   | 33242   | 32464   | 27881   | 22197   | 12413   |   14625 |   14647 |   18321 |   19452 |
|    23 | 8-21-21 (w.e.f. 20.05.2021)                                 | NA     | 13145   | 27947   | 26864   | 23826   | 18077   | 8634    |   10293 |   10409 |   13097 |   14013 |
|    24 | 9-24-24 (w.e.f. 20.05.2021)                                 | NA     | 14996   | 31808   | 30561   | 27088   | 20550   | 9800    |   11696 |   11835 |   14907 |   15953 |
|    25 | PDM (0-0-14.5-0)                                            | NA     | 1467    | 1467    | 1467    | 1467    | 2307    | 345     |     345 |     345 |     345 |     345 |
|    26 | 11-30-14 (w.e.f. 01.04.2024)                                | NA     | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      |   14122 |   14305 |   18145 |   19453 |
|    27 | Urea-SSP complex (5- 15-0-10) (w.e.f. 01.04.2024)           | NA     | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      |    6849 |    6947 |    8952 |    9088 |
|    28 | SSP 16-0-11 (fortified with Mg, Zn & B) (w.e.f. 01.04.2024) | NA     | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      | NA      |    4804 |    5121 |    7263 |    7408 |

Annexure-III Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 2383 for answering on 13.02.2026

Number of companies registered under NBS scheme as manufacturer/importer during 2020-21 to 2024-25:

| Company classification   |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|--------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| P&K Manufacturer         |         0 |         1 |         2 |         5 |         6 |
| P&K Importer             |         0 |         3 |         3 |         1 |        10 |

Annexure-IV Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 2383 for answering on 13.02.2026

The average MRP (in Rs. Per 50 Kg bag) of major P&K fertilizers viz., DAP, MOP, SSP, NPK 12-32-16, NPK 10-26-26 and NPK 20-20-0-13 are as under:

| Product Name   |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 10-26-26       |   1228.78 |   1487.56 |   1488.04 |   1469.75 |   1530.22 |
| 12-32-16       |   1232.16 |   1436.66 |   1578.3  |   1493.26 |   1498.89 |
| 20-20-0-13     |    997.51 |   1232.63 |   1403.21 |   1263.78 |   1283.31 |
| DAP            |   1250    |   1250    |   1350    |   1350    |   1350    |
| MOP            |    893.63 |   1166.92 |   1707.17 |   1699.39 |   1557.56 |
| SSP-Powdered   |    401.6  |    364.73 |    501.74 |    531.39 |    506.95 |