India imports 8.47 lakh tons of DAP fertiliser from China till February

New Delhi: India has imported 8.47 lakh tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser from China till February in the current fiscal year, government data showed.

The Chinese imports represent 19.17 per cent of India’s total DAP imports of 44.19 lakh tonnes during the period.

In the previous fiscal year, China accounted for 22.28 lakh tonnes, or about 40 per cent, of India’s overall DAP imports of 55.67 lakh tonnes.

DAP is the second most widely used fertiliser in India after urea.

The country also imports DAP from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Jordan, both as finished fertiliser and raw materials such as rock phosphate and intermediate chemicals.

For the ongoing rabi season, domestic availability of DAP fertilisers has exceeded the estimated requirement of 52 lakh tonnes, with 48 lakh tonnes already sold. As of March 11, India maintained a closing DAP stock of 9.43 lakh tonnes.