Lok Sabha Question No. 3546 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Imports  of Fertilizers
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Saumitra Khan

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3546 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 13.03.2026

## Imports of Fertilizers

## 3546.  Shri Saumitra Khan:

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

- (a)  whether it is true that fertilizers has been imported from China and Russia, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the action plan to overcome the shortage and become self reliant in production of chemical fertilizers in the country;
- (c)    whether  the  Government  proposes  to  set  up  a  chemical  fertilizer  factory  in Bishnupur Lok Sabha Constituency of West Bengal; and
- (d)  if so, the details thereof alongwith the time-line by which the said factory is likely to be setup?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS

## (Smt. Anupriya Patel)

- (a)   Yes, Sir. Fertilizers have been imported from China and Russia. Imported quantity of fertilizers from China and Russia for the period of 2022-23 to 2025-26 (till February 2026) is as below:-

| Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   | Import of fertilizers (Urea, DAP, MOPand NPK) from China and Russia during year 2022-23 to 2025-26 Upto Feb-26   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year                                                                                                             |                                                                                                                  | Russia As Reported by the                                                                                        | Russia As Reported by the                                                                                        | Russia As Reported by the                                                                                        |                                                                                                                  | As Reported by the                                                                                               | As Reported by the                                                                                               | As Reported by the                                                                                               |
|                                                                                                                  | UREA                                                                                                             | Companies                                                                                                        | Companies                                                                                                        | Companies                                                                                                        | UREA                                                                                                             | Companies                                                                                                        | Companies                                                                                                        | Companies                                                                                                        |
|                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                  | DAP                                                                                                              | MOP                                                                                                              | NPK                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                  | DAP                                                                                                              | MOP                                                                                                              | NPK                                                                                                              |
| 2022-23                                                                                                          | 6.26                                                                                                             | 9.24                                                                                                             | 0.85                                                                                                             | 22.21                                                                                                            | 12.80                                                                                                            | 12.17                                                                                                            | 0.00                                                                                                             | 0.83                                                                                                             |
| 2023-24 15.73                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                  | 3.41                                                                                                             | 12.36                                                                                                            | 17.04                                                                                                            | 18.65                                                                                                            | 22.28                                                                                                            | 0.00                                                                                                             | 0.30                                                                                                             |
| 2024-25 9.23                                                                                                     |                                                                                                                  | 2.69                                                                                                             | 18.00                                                                                                            | 18.27                                                                                                            | 0.99                                                                                                             | 8.47                                                                                                             | 0.00                                                                                                             | 0.77                                                                                                             |
| 2025-26 (Upto Feb- 26)                                                                                           | 13.99                                                                                                            | 7.55                                                                                                             | 12.97                                                                                                            | 21.00                                                                                                            | 21.24                                                                                                            | 5.11                                                                                                             | 0.28                                                                                                             | 9.61                                                                                                             |
| MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 | MOPincludes both Agriculture and Industrial use*                                                                 |

(b) to (d) The  Government  has  implemented  Nutrient  Based  Subsidy  (NBS) Scheme w.e.f. 01.04.2010 for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers. Under the Scheme,  P&K  fertilizers  are  covered  under  Open  General  License  (OGL)  and companies are free to import/manufacture these fertilizers as per their business dynamics.

To reduce dependence on imported Phosphatic fertilizers and make country selfreliant the following measures have been taken by the Government:

(i) D/o Fertilizers has issued guidelines 18.01.2024 to ensure reasonableness of MRP and encourage domestic production.

(ii)  Based  on  the  requests,  the  new  manufacturing  units  or  increase  in manufacturing capacity of existing  units have  been  recognized  /  taken  on record under the NBS Scheme.

(iii) The number of P&K fertilizers covered under NBS policy has increased from 22 grades in 2021 to 28 grades.

(iv) Freight Subsidy on SSP, which is an indigenously manufactured fertilizer, has been approved since Kharif, 2022 to promote SSP usage for providing Phosphatic or 'P' nutrient to the soil.

As far as overcoming shortage of fertilizers is concerned, following steps are taken by the Government every season to ensure adequate and timely availability of fertilizers across the country:

(i)  Before  the  commencement  of  each  cropping  season,  Department  of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), in consultation with all the State Governments, assesses the State-wise & month-wise requirement of fertilizers.

(ii)  On the basis of requirement projected by DA&FW, D/o Fertilizers allocates adequate quantities of fertilizers to States by issuing monthly supply plan and continuously monitors the availability.

(iii) The movement of all major subsidized fertilizers is monitored throughout the country by an on-line web-based monitoring system called integrated Fertilizer Monitoring System (iFMS).

(iv) The State Governments are regularly advised to coordinate with manufacturers  and  importers  for  streamlining  the  supplies  through  timely placement of indents.

(v) Regular Weekly Video Conference is conducted jointly by DA&FW and D/o Fertilizers  with  State Agriculture Officials and corrective actions are taken to dispatch fertilizer as indicated by the State Governments.

(vi)  Distribution  of  fertilizers  within  the  State  at  district  level  is  done  by  the concerned State Government.

With regard to urea, the Government had announced New Investment Policy (NIP)  -  2012  on  2nd  January,  2013  and  its  amendment  on  7 th  October,  2014  to facilitate fresh investment in the urea sector and to make India self-sufficient in the urea sector. Total 6 new urea units have been set up under NIP-2012 which includes 4 urea units set up through Joint Venture Companies (JVC) of nominated PSUs and 2  urea  units  set  up  by  the  private  companies.  The  units  set  up  through  JVC  are Ramagundam urea unit  of  Ramagundam  Fertilizers  and  Chemicals  Ltd  (RFCL)  in Telangana  and  3  urea  units  namely  Gorakhpur,  Sindri  and  Barauni  of  Hindustan Urvarak  &  Rasayan  Limited  (HURL)  at  Gorakhpur  in  Uttar  Pradesh,  Sindri  in Jharkhand and Barauni in Bihar, respectively. The units set up by private companies are Panagarh urea unit of Matix Fertilizers a/nd Chemicals Ltd. (Matix) in West Bengal; and  Gadepan-III  urea  unit  of  Chambal  Fertilizers  and  Chemicals  Ltd.  (CFCL)  in Rajasthan. Each of these units has installed capacity of 12.7 Lakh Metric Tonne per annum (LMTPA). These units are highly energy efficient as they are based on latest technology. Therefore, these units have together added urea production capacity of 76.2  LMTPA,  thereby  total  indigenous  urea  production  capacity  (Reassessed Capacity, RAC) has increased from 207.54 LMTPA during 2014-15 to 283.74 LMTPA during 2023-24.

Further,  an  exclusive  policy  for  the  revival  of  Talcher  unit  of  FCIL  through  JVC  of nominated  PSUs  namely  Talcher  Fertilizers  Limited  (TFL)  by  setting  up  a  new Greenfield  urea  plant  of  12.7  LMTPA  at  coal  gasification  route  has  also  been approved. Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for setting up of a new Brownfield Ammonia-Urea Complex of 12.7 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) annual capacity  of  Urea  production  within  the  existing  premises  of  Brahmaputra  Valley Fertilizer  Corporation  Limited  (BVFCL),  Namrup,  Assam  namely  Assam  Valley Fertilizer and Chemical Company Ltd. (AVFCCL).

In addition, the Government also notified the New Urea Policy (NUP) - 2015 on 25 th May,  2015  for  the  existing  25  gas-based  urea  units  with  one  of  the  objectives  of maximizing  indigenous  urea  production  beyond  RAC.   The  NUP-2015  has  led  to additional  production  of  urea  by  20-25  LMT as  compared  to  the  production  during 2014-15 annually. Above steps together have facilitated increase of Urea production from level of 225.85 LMT per annum during 2014-15 to a record Urea Production at 314.09 LMT during 2023-24. During 2024-25, 306.67 LMT of Urea was produced in the country.

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