Urea production stood at 187.21 lakh tonnes during April-November period of this fiscal, while imports were at 46.14 lakh tonnes to meet domestic demand.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba shared the data for consumption, production and import of urea in the last three years.
As per the data, urea production stood at 250.72 lakh tonnes in the 2021-22 fiscal as against 246.05 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 and 244.58 lakh tonnes in the 2019-20 financial year.
Urea imports stood at 91.36 lakh tonnes in the last fiscal, 98.28 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 and 91.23 lakh tonnes in 2019-20.
Urea is presently sold in 45-kg bags and the maximum retail price (MRP) is ₹242 per bag (excluding charges towards neem coating and taxes as applicable).
"The subsidy provided per 45kg bag of urea is approximately ₹1,800 (Q1 of 2022-23)," the minister said.
The difference between the production cost and MRP is reimbursed as subsidy to fertiliser manufacturers.