The increased requirement of urea and DAP this year is due to an increase in area under cultivation.

As regards DAP, the State had an opening stock of 60,000 tonnes in April this year while the indigenous sources are making available the balance of the total requirement of 2.75 lakh tonnes.

To meet any further requirement, about 30,000 tonnes of DAP is being imported, he said.

At Mundra and Rozi ports, GNFC would handle a total of eight lakh tonnes and one lakh tonne of urea respectively, this year for the kharif season, Mr Desai pointed out.

The Centre, which is importing some 45 tonnes of urea for the kharif season to meet the nation’s requirements, till September this year, had appointed GNFC as the nodal agency for urea imports from West Asia in Gujarat and allotted ports where major fertiliser companies could receive their imports.

Gujarat’s demand for the coming kharif season is 8.50 lakh tonnes, 10 per cent higher than last year’s. Of this, six lakh tonnes is being supplied by indigenous manufacturers in the State such as GNFC and Gujarat State Fertilizers Company Ltd , besides Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (RCF), Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd (KRIBHCO) and Indian Farmers’ Fertilizers Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO). RCF and KRIBHCO have been asked to source imported urea from the Kandla port and IFCO from Pipavav.

The increased requirement of urea and DAP this year is due to an increase in area under cultivation.

Of the 96 lakh hectares of farmland available, 88 lakh hectares was cultivated last year.

This year, another five lakh hectares are expected to be brought under cultivation due to availability of irrigation to areas mainly in North Gujarat in the wake of water supplies made possible by major schemes.

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