Coming to the help of its neighbours, India will export 1.7 lakh tonnes of urea and Diammonium Phosphate during this year to Nepal and will also supply 65,000 tonnes of urea to Sri Lanka under the existing $1 billion Indian line of credit, Times of India reported. While the supply of urea to Sri Lanka comes at a time when the country is facing a huge economic crisis officials said the export of fertilisers to Nepal is also a strategic move to keep Kathmandu from seeking help from China in meeting its domestic requirement.
Sources said India will export 1.2 lakh tonnes of urea and 50, 000 tonnes of DAP to Nepal. Similarly, another 5,300 tonnes of DAP will be exported to Bhutan. Sri Lanka would be the second country to get urea from India after Nepal in spite of a ban on the export of the chemical fertiliser, according to Time of India. TOI has learnt that the export of urea and DAP to Nepal wil be as per the MOU (agreement) signed between the two countries. Sources for the demand of fertilizers has gone up in Nepal after the Indian enforcement agencies cracked down on people who were involved in smuggling of urea. In the past 2-3 months, around 300 FIRs have been registered against smugglers in Uttar Pradesh alone and another 50-60 FIRs have been registered in Bihar.