New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) The Government has significantly stepped up natural gas supply to urea plants, leading to a 23 per cent jump in domestic urea production ahead of the Kharif 2026 season, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers said on Thursday.

The move comes as part of a broader strategy to ensure adequate fertiliser availability for farmers and to shield the sector from global supply disruptions, especially amid ongoing uncertainties in West Asia.

By increasing gas supplies to urea plants and securing imports through global tenders, the government has managed to strengthen both production and stock levels.

A key part of this strategy has been boosting the supply of natural gas, which is crucial for urea production.

The government, through the Empowered Pool Management Committee (EPMC), has secured an additional 7.31 MMSCMD of gas on a spot basis.

With this, the total gas supply to urea plants has increased from 32 MMSCMD to 39.31 MMSCMD, marking a jump of around 23 per cent.

This increase in gas availability is expected to directly raise domestic urea production. According to official estimates, production is set to rise from 54,500 metric tonnes per day to about 67,000 metric tonnes per day, again reflecting a 23 per cent increase.

The move has also improved the fulfilment of gas requirements of urea plants from 62 per cent to 76 per cent, helping factories operate more efficiently.

At the same time, the government has built a comfortable stock position. Current urea stocks stand at 61.14 lakh metric tonnes, higher than 55.22 lakh metric tonnes recorded in March last year.

Stocks of DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) have seen an even sharper rise, more than doubling to 24.24 lakh metric tonnes, providing an additional buffer for farmers during the sowing season.

Government officials said that advance planning has played a major role in this improvement. The Department of Fertilisers floated global tenders well ahead of time, anticipating possible disruptions due to geopolitical tensions.

These tenders have received a strong response, and most of the imported quantities are expected to reach India by the end of March.

During a recent media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the country is currently in a comfortable position in terms of fertiliser availability.

He emphasised that India is following a diversified import strategy and is in touch with multiple countries to ensure steady supplies.

--IANS

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