Gas Chokes fertiliser output

Economic Times - 18 November 2002

Production of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) was hit by raw materials shortage

The estimated production of fertilisers during September 2002 was 9.12 lakh tonnes of nitrogen as against the target of 9.75 lakh tonnes.

Production of phosphate was at 4.16 lakh tonnes against the target of 4.22 lakh tonnes.

Overall capacity utilisation in September 2002 was 98.6per cent for nitrogen and 72.1 per cent for phosphate.

According to an official release, production of both nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilisers was less than the target on account of less supply of natural gas and its lean quality. This affected production at gas based plants.

Similarly, production of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) was hit by shortage of raw materials and marketing constraints in all DAP plants.

Production was less than the target of 5.89 lakh tonnes at 4.28 lakh tonnes in all complex fertiliser plants due to high inventory. In product terms, production of urea was 16.23 lakh tonnes against the target of 16.74 lakh tonnes.

The cumulative production of fertilisers during April - September 2002 was estimated at 52.62 lakh tonnes of nitrogen as against target of 58.09 lakh tonnes.

Phosphate output was 19.69 tonnes against the target of 24.92 lakh tonnes.

The cumulative production in the corresponding period was 53.26 lakh tonnes of nitrogen and 17.83 lakh tonnes of phosphate.