May 21, 2020 (MLN): The total nutrient offtake during April 2020 was about 267 thousand tonnes, which is 12.6 percent higher than the offtake of April 2019.
According to the monthly offtake data released by National Fertilizer Development Centre, the Nitrogen Offtake decreased by 2.7 percent over April 2019, while phosphate and potash offtake increased by 62.6 and 6.7 percent respectively.
In product terms, urea offtake was 242 thousand tonnes; which recorded a decrease of 17.1 percent when compared with the same timeframe of last year.
Offtake of urea decreased in Punjab and Sindh by 19 and 30 percent respectively. Its offtake increased by 34 and 14 percent in KP and Balochistan respectively as compared to April 2019.
Total urea availability during April 2020 was about 1097 thousand tonnes, comprising 592 thousand tonnes of previous season leftover and 505 thousand tonnes of domestic production. Urea offtake during April 2020 was about 242 thousand tonnes. The closing balance was about 860 thousand tonnes.
Outlook
Urea availability during Kharif, 2020 is estimated to be around 3458 thousand tonnes comprising 592 thousand tonnes of previous season leftover and local production of 2866 thousand tonnes. The urea offtake is projected to be around 3048 thousand tonnes during Kharif, 2020 reflecting a reserve stock of 415 thousand tonnes for next season.
