Fertiliser prices likely to go up on lower subsidy rates

23 Nov 2010 Evaluate

A sharp jump in fertiliser product prices from the next fiscal seems inevitable, with the Centre slashing nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) rates payable to companies. Under NBS scheme, companies receive a fixed per-kg nutrient subsidy, applicable on all non-urea fertilisers. While the maximum retail prices (MRP) of these fertilisers have been technically decontrolled from April 1, the industry is informally obliged to keep farmgate price increases within ‘acceptable' limits in return for a fixed NBS concession on each product.

Manufacturers of complexes — fertilisers having varying proportions of N, P, K and S — would also receive 16 to 19 per cent less subsidy on every tonne that they sell at the new NBS rates. Simply put, companies may have to wait till the next kharif planting season to print higher MRPs on their bags to compensate for the lower subsidy receivable from the Centre.

The new NBS rates have been arrived at by benchmarking them to international prices of urea (for N), DAP (for P), MOP (for K) and sulphur, which have apparently been taken at $280, $450, $350 and $125 a tonne, respectively. These are below their corresponding existing benchmarks of $310, $500, $370 and $190 a tonne. Imported urea is now landing in Indian shores at about $405 a tonne, with these being $620 for DAP, $370 for MOP and $185 for sulphur.

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