The Hindu Business Line : Kharif urea distribution plan finalised

The quantity of urea expected to be made available in each State has been finalised on the basis of the demands placed by the respective States with the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DoAC), which then made its own assessment of the demands based on past consumptions.

This year, around 130 lakh tonnes of urea are likely to be distributed among the States and the Union Territories. With predictions of normal monsoon, the demand is likely to pick up from June and continue for four months till September, with some spill-over demand in October, officials said.

According to Ministry officials, the monitoring of production and despatches had been tightened this time.

While earlier the fertiliser producers were asked to report their production and despatch figures on a fortnightly basis, now they will have to do it on a weekly basis.

The companies have been provided with a special password so that they can key in the necessary information from the factory itself, officials said.

According to officials, this year's requirement is in line with previous year's consumption figures though most of the States have exaggerated their demands.

"This is probably because they want to play safe to meet the demands," officials said.

As usual, Uttar Pradesh accounts for the maximum amount of 22.50 lakh tonnes of urea.

Punjab follows next with 11.25 lakh tonnes of estimated supply and Andhra Pradesh accounting for another 10 lakh tonnes.

According to officials, since a part of urea distribution is decontrolled now, the weekly despatch details would enable the department to spot unmet demands and direct supplies from the regulated portion to such uncatered markets.