State PCS - Haryana (HCS)

• 01 Mar 2025

Rise in Consumption of Urea and Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has expressed concern over the sharp increase in urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) consumption during the ongoing rabi season (2024-25) in multiple states, including Haryana, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and J&K. 

Key Points 

• Rising Urea and DAP Consumption: 
  • Urea and DAP are essential for agricultural productivity, and India relies on imports to meet domestic demand. 
  • The Agriculture Secretary in a letter to Haryana’s Chief Secretary highlighted excessive fertiliser consumption in some districts. 
  • He noted that usage had surpassed both the assessed monthly requirement and the previous year’s figures, indicating an imbalance. 
• Urea Consumption Trends: 
  • Haryana’s urea usage rose by 18% compared to the past three-year average, reaching 11,07,205 metric tonnes (MT) from 9,40,549 MT. 
  • Highest increases were recorded in: 
    • Charkhi Dadri – 107% 
    • Yamunanagar – 32% 
    • Sonepat – 30% 
  • Other states also recorded significant increases in urea consumption: 
    • Jharkhand – 35% 
    • Chhattisgarh – 37% 
    • J&K – 24% 
    • Karnataka – 20% 
    • Bihar – 17% 
    • Gujarat – 2% 
• DAP Consumption Trends: 
  • Haryana’s DAP usage increased by 18%, reaching 3,25,416 MT from the previous three-year average of 2,75,934 MT. 
  • Districts with the highest surge: 
    • Charkhi Dadri – 184% 
    • Mahendragarh – 65% 
    • Yamunanagar – 55% 
    • Ambala – 48% 
    • Panchkula – 39% 
    • Rewari – 34% 
    • Jhajjar – 30% 
  • Other states also saw notable increases in DAP usage: 
    • Chhattisgarh – 30% 
    • Gujarat – 25% 
    • Bihar – 17% 
• Concerns Over Fertiliser Diversion: 
  • The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers flagged potential diversions in January. 
  • Haryana’s Director of Agriculture, Rajnarayan Kaushik, acknowledged that urea might be diverted to industries. 
• Factors Driving Increased Usage: 
  • Paddy Stubble Management: Farmers now use 25-45 kg of urea per acre to manage paddy stubble. 
  • Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)Fertiliser Usage:  
    • Consumption rose from 26,000 MT last year to 66,000 MT this season. 
    • Since NPK has lower nitrogen content than DAP, farmers compensate by using additional urea. 
  • High-Nitrogen Wheat Varieties: 
    • Wheat varieties like WH 1270, DBW 187, 303, and 327 require 1.5 times more nitrogen than older varieties. 
    • Farmers, expecting higher yields, tend to use more urea. 
    • These varieties now cover an estimated 2.50 lakh acres in Haryana. 
  • Inter-State Fertiliser Movement: 
    • Reports indicate fertilisers are being transported to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh from Haryana. 
    • Some fertilisers are also being diverted to the plywood industry, claimed Rakesh Bains of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni group). 

 DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) 

• DAP is the second most commonly used fertilizer in India after urea. 
• DAP is a preferred fertilizer in India because it contains both Nitrogen and Phosphorus which are primary macro-nutrients and part of 18 essential plant nutrients. 
• Fertilizer grade DAP contains 18% Nitrogen and 46% Phosphorus. It is manufactured by reacting Ammonia with Phosphoric acid under controlled conditions in fertilizer plants. 

 Urea 

• Urea is a white crystalline compound commonly used as a synthetic fertilizers in agriculture. 
• When applied to the soil or crops, urea is broken down by enzymes into ammonia and carbon dioxide. 
  • The ammonia then gets converted into ammonium ions, which can be taken up by plant roots and used for growth and development.