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Haryana

  • 01 Mar 2025
  • 5 min read
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Rise in Consumption of Urea and Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has expressed concern over the sharp increase in urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) consumption during the ongoing rabi season (2024-25) in multiple states, including Haryana, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and J&K. 

Key Points 

  • Rising Urea and DAP Consumption: 
    • Urea and DAP are essential for agricultural productivity, and India relies on imports to meet domestic demand. 
    • The Agriculture Secretary in a letter to Haryana’s Chief Secretary highlighted excessive fertiliser consumption in some districts. 
    • He noted that usage had surpassed both the assessed monthly requirement and the previous year’s figures, indicating an imbalance. 
  • Urea Consumption Trends: 
    • Haryana’s urea usage rose by 18% compared to the past three-year average, reaching 11,07,205 metric tonnes (MT) from 9,40,549 MT. 
    • Highest increases were recorded in: 
      • Charkhi Dadri – 107% 
      • Yamunanagar – 32% 
      • Sonepat – 30% 
    • Other states also recorded significant increases in urea consumption: 
      • Jharkhand – 35% 
      • Chhattisgarh – 37% 
      • J&K – 24% 
      • Karnataka – 20% 
      • Bihar – 17% 
      • Gujarat – 2% 
  • DAP Consumption Trends: 
    • Haryana’s DAP usage increased by 18%, reaching 3,25,416 MT from the previous three-year average of 2,75,934 MT. 
    • Districts with the highest surge: 
      • Charkhi Dadri – 184% 
      • Mahendragarh – 65% 
      • Yamunanagar – 55% 
      • Ambala – 48% 
      • Panchkula – 39% 
      • Rewari – 34% 
      • Jhajjar – 30% 
    • Other states also saw notable increases in DAP usage: 
      • Chhattisgarh – 30% 
      • Gujarat – 25% 
      • Bihar – 17% 
  • Concerns Over Fertiliser Diversion: 
    • The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers flagged potential diversions in January. 
    • Haryana’s Director of Agriculture, Rajnarayan Kaushik, acknowledged that urea might be diverted to industries. 
  • Factors Driving Increased Usage: 
    • Paddy Stubble Management: Farmers now use 25-45 kg of urea per acre to manage paddy stubble. 
    • Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)Fertiliser Usage:  
      • Consumption rose from 26,000 MT last year to 66,000 MT this season. 
      • Since NPK has lower nitrogen content than DAP, farmers compensate by using additional urea. 
    • High-Nitrogen Wheat Varieties: 
      • Wheat varieties like WH 1270, DBW 187, 303, and 327 require 1.5 times more nitrogen than older varieties. 
      • Farmers, expecting higher yields, tend to use more urea. 
      • These varieties now cover an estimated 2.50 lakh acres in Haryana. 
    • Inter-State Fertiliser Movement: 
      • Reports indicate fertilisers are being transported to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh from Haryana. 
      • Some fertilisers are also being diverted to the plywood industry, claimed Rakesh Bains of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni group). 

 DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) 

  • DAP is the second most commonly used fertilizer in India after urea. 
  • DAP is a preferred fertilizer in India because it contains both Nitrogen and Phosphorus which are primary macro-nutrients and part of 18 essential plant nutrients. 
  • Fertilizer grade DAP contains 18% Nitrogen and 46% Phosphorus. It is manufactured by reacting Ammonia with Phosphoric acid under controlled conditions in fertilizer plants. 

 Urea 

  • Urea is a white crystalline compound commonly used as a synthetic fertilizers in agriculture. 
  • When applied to the soil or crops, urea is broken down by enzymes into ammonia and carbon dioxide. 
    • The ammonia then gets converted into ammonium ions, which can be taken up by plant roots and used for growth and development. 

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