With an aim to maintain the current domestic production level of urea in the country, Fertiliser Ministry has planned to move a cabinet note soon for continuation of subsidy to three closed naptha-based urea plants. These three plants, belonging to firm Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilisers (MCFL), Madras Fertilizers and Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC), have been shut after the government discontinued subsidy on urea produced from costly naptha as feedstock with effect from October 1.
Finance Ministry also requested the state government to waive off the VAT on Naptha so that subsidy could be reduced. Urea's cost of production using Naptha as feedstock is around Rs 40,000 per tonne, whereas in case of gas it is around Rs 15,000 per tonne.
Urea consumption in the country has been witnessing rising trend over the past decade. During the FY14, urea consumption increased by 9.42% to 33 MT from 30.16 MT in the previous fiscal. On the other hand, production declined by 2.57% to 22 MT in FY14 as compared to 22.58 in FY13. Over the past few years, domestic manufactures have been operating at over 100% capacity utilization as the country’s installed capacity of urea stands at around 21 MT.
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