New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) The average global price of urea has gone up by 48 per cent to USD 507.5 a tonne in the last four months leading to increase in subsidy bill of the government, Parliament was informed today.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Srikant Jena said the average urea price in the international market has risen to USD 507.5 per tonne in July against USD 343.25 per tonne in April.
He pointed out that the prices of other important crop nutrients like di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of poatsh (MOP) have also risen in the global markets.
"As a repercussion of increase in international prices, India is buying at higher cost and consequently leading to higher subsidy and increased selling prices," Jena said.
At present, the maximum retail price (MRP) of urea stands at Rs 5,310 per tonne, while, under the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime introduced from April 1, 2010, firms can fix the retail prices of 22 varieties of decontrolled potassic and phosphatic (P&K) fertilisers.
International prices of DAP rose by 6 per cent to USD 701.92 per tonne in July this year compared to USD 663.75 per tonne in April in the same year, while prices of MOP rose by six per cent to USD 462.50 per tonne against USD 437.50 per tonne in the same period.
Prices of phosphoric acid, an important industrial acid used in making of fertilisers, in the global markets in July 2011 rose by seven per cent to USD 1,050 per tonne against USD 980 per tonne in April 2011.
Rock phosphate -- a raw material used in making triple super phosphate and ammonium phosphate fertilisers -- rose by five per cent to USD 178.13 per tonne in July this year compared to USD 168.88 per tonne in April of the same year.
No comments:
Post a Comment