However, urea availability was satisfactory with total urea despatched to states in September standing at 17.05 lakh tonne against the target of 15 lakh tonne.

Unlike urea, phosphate production overshot the estimates marginally and stood at 3.03 lakh against a target of 2.78 lakh tonne.

According to an official release, nitrogen production suffered because of shutdown of production at HFC-Namrup-III and NLC Neyvelli and also due to production problems in several other plants.

There was a shortfall in production in RCF-Thal because of low supply of gas. Production in Kribhco-Hazira, NFCL-Kakinada-II, MCF-Mangalore, and Kalol, Phulpur-I and Anola-I plants of IFFCO suffered due to equipment problems.

The cumulative production of fertilisers since April-September is estimated at 53.21 lakh tonne of nitrogen and 16.15 lakh tonne of phosphate as against the target of 53.21 lakh tonne and 16.14 lakh tonne respectively. The cumulative production in the corresponding period last year was 50.11 lakh tonne of nitrogen and 14.66 lakh tonne of phosphate.

Capacity utilisation in September was 103.3 per cent for nitrogen and 109.7 per cent for phosphate.

Availability of urea during the entire Kharif season remained satisfactory throughout the country, the release said. Cumulative availability of urea up to September-end was 119.95 lakh tonne against estimated supply of 110.66 lakh tonne.

Cumulative availability of DAP by the end of September was 41.34 lakh tonne which is 25 per cent higher than the availability during the corresponding period last year.

MOP availability by September-end was 15.6 lakh tonne.