The National Fertilizer Development Centre (NFDC) today released the Fertilizer offtake for the month of February, 2017 and for the cumulative offtake during Rabi 2017 – 18 (October to February). The data also shed some light on the future outlook of fertilizer offtake in the coming months.

Fertilizer data reveals significant increase in offtake of Fertilizer products during the month of February. The monthly average for February during the last five years stands at 258,200 tonnes per month. The total offtake during February clocked in at 264,000 tonnes 29.0 percent up from last month and 2.2 percent up than the February average during the last five years.  

During first five months of the current Rabi 2017-18 (Oct-Feb), total nutrients offtake decreased by 7.5 percent as compared with same time frame of last year.

Nitrogen offtake decreased by 5.0 percent, phosphate offtake also shrank by 14 percent whereas, total potash offtake reported a 28.8 percent spike during the month of February. Maize, soybean, sunflower, sugarcane and potatoes sowing season has also begun during the season.

Potash is important for agriculture because it improves water retention, yield, nutrient value, taste, color, and texture and disease resistance of food crops as farmers prepare the soils for sowing of Maize, Sorghum, Sunflower, Soybean, Sugarcane and Tomatoes.

Fertilizer Offtake – February & Rabi Season 2017 – 18

In product terms urea offtake decreased by 20.1 per cent, DAP offtake also decreased by 13.7 percent during first five months of Rabi 2017-18 (Oct – Feb)

The Nutrient/Product wise breakup of Fertilizer offtake during the month of February:-.

• Total Nutrient offtake during February clocked in at 220 thousand tonnes against 164 thousand tonnes in February, 2017; rising by 34.6 percent.
• Nitrogen offtake (Feb, 2018) was 67 thousand tonnes; jumping by 19.6 percent
• Phosphate offtake (Feb, 2018) was 3.9 thousand tonnes; decreasing by 35.9 per cent.
• Urea offtake (Feb, 2018) was 370 thousand tonnes; increasing by 43.9 percent
• DAP offtake (Feb, 2018) was 122 thousand tonnes; up by 25.4 per cent

Fertilizer Production and Import

The data regarding imports and production for February, 2017 revealed production of 551 thousand tonnes. Of the produced amount, 389 thousand tonnes was in Urea, 65 thousand tonnes for DAP, 38 thousand tonnes for CAN, Nitrophos 36 thousand tonnes, 1.3 thousand tonnes for SSP, and 11 thousand tonnes for different grades of NPK.

On the imports side, 89 thousand tonnes of DAP, 1.3 thousand tonnes of SSP, 3.4 thousand tonnes of SOP and 1 thousand tonnes of SOP was imported.

Domestic Price Scenario – Fertilizer

Domestic prices for almost all the Fertilizer products have slightly gained since the last month on the back of depreciation and rising import costs.

Note: All data has been provided by National Fertilizer Development Centr