In the early stage of the Covid – 19 crisis and much before it had assumed monstrous dimensions, the international crude oil market was already oversupplied. Then, OPEC [Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries] – a cartel of oil suppliers in the middle-east led by Saudi Arabia the lead exporter – and non-OPEC suppliers led by Russia sat together to hammer out an agreement to cut production with a view to bring about a semblance of demand-supply balance. But, the agreement eluded them as Russia refused to back even a moderate cut [it would have only served to help US shale-oil companies to run at full capacity – which it didn’t want]. In sync with the past happenings whenever OPEC didn’t...
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Category: Production vs imports
Fertilizers – disjointed policies, contrary signals
Modi – government is running in its sixth year [five years of the first term and first of Modi 2.0]; we are yet to see a coherent announcement on reforms in the fertilizer sector forget giving a ‘stable’ and ‘predictable’ policy badly needed to give a clear-cut signal to various stakeholders for taking decisions with regard to investment, innovation, imports, logistics and use etc. All that we see is exhortation from the Prime Minister himself made in bits and pieces from the public platform. Let us pick up some of most crucial ones. First, in the 38th edition of “Mann ki Baat” delivered on November 26, 2017, Modi exhorted farmers to take a pledge for reducing consumption of urea [the...
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Fertilizer tantrums, farmers’ woes
The woes of farmers refuse to go away. This time around, the steep increase in price of fertilizers – key input used in crop production – during the current year has increased their miseries. During Kharif [April-September] 2018, the price of di-ammonium phosphate [DAP] – a major source of ‘phosphate’ or ‘P’ nutrient supply – increased by 30% over Kharif [April-September] 2017. Likewise, the price of complexes and muriate of potash [MoP] – main source of ‘phosphate’ and ‘potash’ or ‘K’ nutrient – increased by 15-60% during Kharif 2018 over Kharif 2017. The escalating trend has continued during Rabi [October 2018-March 2019] season as well. The price of DAP has increased by a further 12-13% during Rabi [Oct 18-March 19]...
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OVERCOMING THE REFORM CHALLENGE
If the Government is serious about making a dent on subsidy, it should dismantle controls and give subsidy directly to target beneficiaries (the poor) under direct benefit transfer. This will pave the way for many players, increase supply, offer more choices and foster competition In the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) statement (a statutory requirement under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003) presented by the Modi Government, expenditure on fertiliser subsidy during 2018-19 and 2019-20 was kept unchanged at Rs 70,000 crore. The provision was the same in this year’s budget. Allocation for food subsidy has been increased from Rs 145,000 crore during 2017-18 to Rs 175,000 crore during 2018-19 and further to Rs 200,000 crore in 2019-20....
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APATHETIC ATTITUDE RUINING BUSINESS
The fertiliser industry, in India is slumping due to the burden on investors to sell at low price and delayed payment of subsidy dues by the Government Last year, Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) sold its urea business viz plant in Babrala, Uttar Pradesh to Yara Fertilisers India Private Limited [YFIL] — Indian arm of Norway’s Yara lnternational ASA — for a sum of Rs 2,670 crore. This was a distress sale. Then, it had also alluded to selling its complex fertiliser business (including Haldia unit). Now, the TCL are in advanced negotiations with India-born Indonesian billionaire Prakash Lohia of Indorama Corporation to sell Haldia unit — on a slump sale basis for Rs 600-800 crore. The sale will include the plant and other fixed assets and...
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Self-sufficiency in fertilisers or building castles in air?
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar has announced the government’s decision to revive five closed plants of Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCIL) and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation Limited (HFCL). They are: Talcher (Odisha), Ramagundum (Telangana), Sindri (Jharkhand), Barauni (Bihar) and Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh). To be commissioned by 2020-21, their revival is expected to add 7.5 million tonnes (mt) of urea capacity. The minister has also exuded confidence that the decision for mandatory neem coating of urea (2015) will result in 10% improvement in the efficiency of fertiliser use. Taking urea consumption of about 33 mt annually, this will save about 3.3 mt. He also referred to steps for increasing utilisation of the existing capacity. This has led to increase...
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Fertilizer reforms – time for big bang
An official from the department of fertilizers is reported to have said that by putting 45 kg of urea in a bag, it is possible to achieve 10% saving in consumption. His logic is that farmer calculates requirements on per acre basis. He needs 90 kg which can be met with 2 bags of 45 kg each against current practice of using two bags of 50 kg each. Are we to infer that until hitherto, 10% urea was going waste as he was forced to buy 100 kg – against need of 90 kg – and that loss will now be prevented with use of 45 kg bag? How come such an innovative idea did not strike policy makers earlier?...
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Self-sufficiency in fertilizers – building castles in the air
Union Minister for chemicals and fertilizers, Ananth Kumar has announced government’s decision to revive five closed plants of Fertilizer Corporation of India [FCIL] and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited [HFCL] viz. Talcher [Odisha], Ramagundum [Telengana], Sindri [Jharkhand], Barauni [Bihar] and Gorakhpur [Uttar Pradesh]. To be commissioned by 2020-21, their revival is expected to add 7.5 million tons [mt] of urea capacity. Kumar has also exuded confidence that the decision of the government to make neem coating of urea mandatory [2015] will result in 10% improvement in the efficiency of fertilizer use. Taking urea consumption of about 33 mt annually, this will result in saving of about 3.3 mt. The minister also referred to steps aimed at enticing manufacturers to increase utilization...
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Neem-coated urea: Why is Narendra Modi govt waiting for 5 years to make India self-sufficient in fertilisers?
Addressing the 9th Global Agriculture Leadership Summit on September 8, 2016, chemicals and fertiliser minister, Ananth Kumar proclaimed that neem-coating of all urea supplies meant for use by farmers has resulted in elimination of diversion to chemical industries and smuggling to neighbouring countries. If, the claim is true, it will have a profound impact on the larger picture of demand-supply balance, self-sufficiency in fertilisers, dependence on import, subsidy pay-out, demand for hydrocarbons especially gas and impact on the environment. The total consumption of urea is about 30 million tonnes annually, including 22 million tonnes indigenous and 8 million tonnes of imported product. Since, all of this is sold by manufacturers/importers at a low ‘controlled’ price, excess of cost of production/import...
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Gains from neem coating urea – real or imaginary!
The exhortations by prime minister, Modi and his cabinet colleague, chemicals and fertilizer minister, Ananth Kumar regarding the success of neam coating of urea [ordered by Modi last year to cover all of domestic production and import] could have much deeper ramifications than mere stoppage of diversion to industrial use and smuggling to neighboring countries. The total consumption of urea in India is about 30 million tons annually including 22 million ton indigenous and 8 million tons imported. Since, all of this is sold by manufacturers/importers at a low ‘controlled’ price under the Fertilizer Control Order [FCO], the excess of cost of production/import and distribution over this price is reimbursed to them as subsidy by Government of India [GOI]. For...
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