Due to the increase in indigenous capacity, self-sufficiency in urea hasgone beyond 90 per cent of the requirement. Only a very small quantity of7.88 lakh tonne of urea had been imported in the last fiscal. It was thismarked increase in production which prompted the government to place a threeyear ban on additional urea capacities.

Production of phosphate increased to 33.69 lakh tonne, crossing marginallythe target of 33.45 lakh tonne, against last year's production of 31.41 lakhtonne.

According to the performance budget of the department of fertilisers, therewas a spurt in import of decontrolled fertilisers in Kharif'99 owing topragmatic rates of concession fixed for 1999-2000. Total import of 29.40lakh tonne of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) had been contracted in 1999-2000against imports of 21.05 lakh tonne during 1998-99.