Overview
- On 79th Independence Day, Narendra Modi urged an atmanirbhar fertiliser sector to bolster domestic production and reduce foreign exchange outgo
- Urea imports fell to 56.47 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 from 70.42 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, while DAP shipments declined to 45.69 lakh tonnes
- The government’s fertiliser subsidy reached ₹1.77 lakh crore in 2024-25, keeping urea prices capped at ₹242 per 45 kg bag
- Domestic urea output climbed from 225 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to 314.07 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 before easing to 306.67 lakh tonnes in 2024-25
- Modi warned that indiscriminate nutrient use damages soil and urged farmers to adopt judicious application under the long-standing NBS and OGL frameworks