PARADIP: Production at the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) unit in Paradip has been partially affected reportedly due to shortage of ammonia.
To deal with the crisis, IFFCO authorities on Thursday held a meeting with labour union leaders. Seeking cooperation from the union leaders, the authorities reportedly explained the situation arising out of the ammonia shortage.
Sources said the shortage has disrupted the production of key fertilisers such as DAP and urea over the past few days. The crisis has reportedly emerged due to ongoing tensions in West Asia and supply chain disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping route for ammonia cargo.
Reportedly, production at the plant has been partially affected since May 19 due to the limited availability of ammonia gas.
Last week, officials of the IFFCO’s Paradip unit stated that the plant had limited stock of ammonia and liquefied natural gas (LNG), both essential raw materials for fertiliser production. According to company representatives, the available inventory may support operations for only around 30 days if fresh imports do not arrive on time.
Meanwhile, farmers have expressed concern over the possibility of reduced fertiliser availability during the upcoming agricultural season. They warned that any disruption in production at the IFFCO unit could affect fertiliser distribution and increase pressure on domestic prices.
Contacted, senior officials of IFFCO clarified that production at the plant has not come to a complete halt. Public relations officer Prasanna Beura said due to the shortage of ammonia gas, production has been reduced, but operations have not been fully disrupted. “We will inform the government if production at the plant gets disrupted completely,” he said.
Paradip ADM Niranjan Behera said IFFCO had not yet officially informed the administration about any complete disruption in production due to ammonia shortage. “However, the plant authorities held a meeting with leaders of different unions to prepare for any possible crisis if production is affected further in the coming days,” he added.
