Page 128 - CW E-Magazine (29-7-2025)

Point of View

gas, but such a dependence is foolhardy as evident from history and ongoing developments wherein China has threatened to cut-off supplies
of fertilisers.

While the revival of the closed public sector units is to be welcomed, the failure of luring the private sector to invest in the fertiliser industry
needs to be addressed. The current subsidy policy provides for a 12% post-tax return to urea manufacturing units, and this is not incentive enough.
While freeing urea pricing to market forces may be too much to expect, bringing it in the ambit of the nutrient-based subsidy scheme – which
presently includes P and K fertilisers – can be a first step. Such a move will also aid the restoration of the N:P:K ratio closer to the ideal, from
the currently skewed one brought about by overuse of urea.

Raising the nutrient use efficiency
Another important aspect that is only now being addressed is increasing nutrient use efficiency (NUE), particularly in the case of urea. A
significant portion of this generously applied fertiliser is lost to the environment or simply washed away, and this is both an economic loss and
an environmental problem.

Coating urea with urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins is an age-old technology widely practiced internationally to retard release. Formaldehyde –
one of the two raw materials needed to make UF resins – can be readily produced from methanol, which production also shares commonalities
with ammonia making. Having said that, some success has been achieved with neem-coating of urea so as to slow its release.
Novel nano-urea formulations – wherein the urea is made more readily available for foliar uptake – is gaining momentum in India, and this
is also contributing to more effective use of the nutrient.

While efforts must be taken to augment domestic urea production and maximise efficiency of its use, planners must also encourage the
adoption of a wider range of N nutrients including urea phosphate, urea nitrate, and urea sulphates (particularly relevant for sulphur-deficient
soils). AN is an excellent fertiliser for quick and slow release of ammonia but is not being promoted here ostensibly for safety reasons (it has
use as explosive).

An uncommon route to ammonia – albeit on a smaller scale – involves ethane/naphtha crackers having ethylene oxide plants, where hydrogen
and nitrogen are available, and low-cost ammonia can be made.

Potassic and phosphatic fertilisers
Presently, nearly all of K needed is supplied in the form of MOP. This is not good for the soil, and other nitrate/phosphate options need to be
explored.
India does not produce any MOP, and must import it entirely from countries like Canada, Belarus, and Russia. Some quantities can be secured
from salt works and alcohol distilleries, but these are small and will not move the needle towards self-sufficiency.

Production of phosphatic fertilisers is also constrained by the lack of high-quality rock phosphate deposits in the country. While some
low-grade ores are available (e.g., in Rajasthan), these are small in the context of needs. Strategic partnerships with countries well-endowed in
the resource is the way to go, and there are examples of successful partnerships in Morocco and Jordan, for instance. Just this month, India
signed a landmark five-year agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden, securing a steady supply of DAP and other key fertilisers.
Another worrying point is that phosphate rock deposits are depleting in a global context and conservation measures are needed. An unusual
source, though small, can be municipal sewage wherefrom mixed phosphorus-based fertilisers can be obtained.
Phosphoric acid plants currently use the sulphuric acid process to treat imported rock phosphate, and technology for using hydrochloric
acid needs to be developed and explored.
Self-sufficiency – a worthy goal to pursue
India must continue to pursue self-sufficiency in fertilisers, through increased domestic production, while encouraging through appropriate
policy interventions and pricing mechanisms a shift towards more balanced and efficient usage of nutrients. While a greater focus on sustainable
practices spanning biofertilizers and organic farming can contribute in some small measure to lowering the need for chemical fertilizers, wishing away
the latter is not an option.
The goal of self-sufficiency in fertilisers is distant – but it is an endeavour India must diligently pursue.
Ravi Raghavan

128 Chemical Weekly July 29, 2025

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