The fertiliser crisis during the West Asia war highlighted India’s vulnerability due to dependence on imported agricultural inputs. Despite disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and supply chain challenges, proactive government measures ensured fertiliser availability during the 2026 kharif season. This topic is important for aspirants preparing for GS3 Agriculture and Economy through UPSC Current Affairs Coaching in Hyderabad.
Fertiliser Security in India
- Critical for agriculture: Fertilisers are essential for sustaining crop yields, especially during the kharif season.
- Dependence on imports: India is the world’s largest urea importer and heavily dependent on imports for phosphatic fertilisers.
- Current reliance:
- Urea – 27% of total requirement met through imports.
- DAP – 60–67% of requirement met through imports.
- Complex fertilisers (NPK) – imports rising, nearly doubled in recent years.
Initial Urea Production Dip
- Production fall: Urea output dropped to 17.5 lakh tonnes in March 2026 from 24.7 lt a year earlier.
- Reason: LNG supply disruption, as Qatar and UAE contracts collapsed due to shipping blockades and infrastructure damage.
- Impact: Threatened nitrogen fertiliser availability for kharif sowing.
Government Recovery Measures
- Diversifying LNG sources: Shifted imports to spot markets from the US, Oman, Nigeria, Angola, Congo, Indonesia, Trinidad, and Norway.
- Domestic recovery: Output rose to 25.4 lt by June, with April-June production 5.4% higher than last year.
- Proactive imports: Large tenders secured 25 lt and 17 lt of urea; imports rose to 25.1 lt (April-June), compared to 8.4 lt last year.
- Subsidy support: Government absorbed higher import costs to shield farmers.
DAP and Complex Fertiliser Challenges
- Raw material crisis: Phosphoric acid prices rose to $1,700/tonne; sulphur prices surged to $500-550/tonne.
- Supply disruption: Tightened supplies from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, ADNOC, and Iran.
- Production constraints: Lack of sulphur and phosphoric acid limited DAP, SSP, and complex fertiliser output.
- Import issues: Only one tender secured 13.5 lt at higher prices ($930-935/tonne), with no fresh imports since.
Demand-Side Relief – El Niño Effect
- Rainfall deficiency: Monsoon rainfall was 12.6% below normal.
- Reduced sowing: Kharif sowing area fell by 4.7% compared to last year.
- Lower demand: Subdued fertiliser offtake helped balance supply shortages.
Conclusion
India’s diversification of LNG sources and proactive urea imports prevented a nitrogen fertiliser crisis during the West Asia war. Sustained government intervention is vital to secure fertiliser availability, especially with the rabi season and upcoming elections ahead.
