The Hindu Business Line : Urea production exceeds target

UREA production during the first half of the current financial year (2004-05) stood at 100.08 lakh tonnes against the targeted 96.57 lakh tonnes, according to an official release.

The estimated production of urea for September stood at 16.48 lakh tonnes against the target of 16.39 lakh tonnes.

However, production of DAP in September was 4.17 lakh tonnes, substantially lower compared to the target amount of 6.02 lakh tonnes.

A total of 16.25 lakh tonnes of urea was dispatched to the States during September compared with the targeted 16 lakh tonnes. Cumulative availability of urea during the current kharif season by the end of September 2004 was 104.92 lakh tonnes and availability was satisfactory in all the States, the release added.

The sale of urea during kharif 2004, till the end of September was 96.10 lakh tonnes, higher by about 3.2 per cent compared with the sale of 93.12 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.

While there was no import of urea during September 2004, 1.25 lakh tonnes of di-ammonium phosphates (DAP) and 3.83 lakh tonnes of muriate of potash (MOP) were imported. The cumulative import of urea, DAP and MOP till the end of September stood at 1.72 lakh tonnes, 1.84 lakh tonnes and 13.94 lakh tonnes respectively.

Meanwhile, the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) has reported an 18-per cent growth in fertiliser sales during the April-October period. The company, in a release, said that it had moved more than 1,350 rakes of fertilisers during the current financial year, 130 rakes more than the corresponding figure for last year. The company has moved more than 36 lakh tonnes of fertiliser this year, 3.25 lakh tonnes more than the year before, the release added.