The Indian government on Monday said that with a stock of 196.65 lakh tonnes (lt) of fertiliser as of June 14, the availability of the crop nutrients is sufficient to meet demand. It said with the conflict in West Asia resolved, as many as 12 ships carrying 3.3 lt of urea and 2.57 lt of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) may transit to through the Strait of Hormuz, which will further boost domestic availability.

At the inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia crisis, which began with the Iran war, Fertiliser Ministry’s joint secretary Bandana Preyashi said that since March 1 Indian companies have contracted to import 50 lt of of fertilisers out of which 21.95 lt of urea and 4.18 lt of DAP have arrived in the country.

She said that against a total fertiliser demand of 383.9 lt during (April-September) for kharif sowing, the country has 196.65 lt of stock of various fertilisers available as of June 14. The stock was 155.19 lt on April 1. Officials data show that sales of urea, DAP, MoP, complex and SSP were 70.57 lt during April-May.

7-10 days to reach India

After factoring the sales of the first fortnight of June, total sales in the current Kharif season have reached 102.78 lt, she said adding that it means the requirement may be 281.12 lt by September 30.

The official said that as many as 16 ships carrying different fertilisers – 8 with 3.3 lt urea, 4 with 2.6 lt DAP, 3 with 1.1 lt sulphur and 1 ship with ammonia – are awaiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Sources said that once the Strait is reopened after the agreement between US and Iran, these ships may take a 7-10 days to reach India.

The government said that India has imported a total of 39.36 lt of fertilisers and domestically produced 123.65 lt between March 1 and June 14 this year, which helped in bolstering availability.

India has secured urea supplies from Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam, Georgia, Nigeria, Russia, Finland, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, and the Netherlands, while DAP and complex (combination of N, P, K, S nutrients) fertilisers have been imported from Russia, Morocco, Egypt, USA, Jordan, South Korea, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

Fully prepared for kharif

“We are totally completely prepared for the kharif season. The department does not anticipate any problem in the season, and we are keenly watching the international and national scenario,” she said adding the Department of Fertilizers (DoF) is regularly reviewing the availability of inputs for domestic production of fertilisers.

She said that the DoF has been regularly paying all the subsidy bills raised by the companies on a weekly basis, and at present, adequate budget is available for payment of fertiliser subsidy.

Preyashi said that farmers have purchased 11.82 lt of organic manure so far, compared with 3.31 lt during the corresponding period last year. The current stock of organic manure is about 22.60 lt, she added. This substantial increase in sale of organic manure indicates a gradual shift in farmers’ preference from chemical fertilisers to organic alternatives, she said.

Published on June 15, 2026