Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to ensure the uninterrupted supply of fertilizers, specifically urea and Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), to the State for the 2026 Kharif season.

In his letter, Mr. Vijay said there is a shortfall in the supply of fertilizers by manufacturers during April and May 2026. Tamil Nadu is an agrarian State, and agriculture provides livelihood to more than 40% of the population. The gross cultivated area is 62.25 lakh hectares and the net sown area is 48.27 lakh hectares.

About 92% of the total farmers are small and marginal who possess landholdings of less than two hectares. Tamil Nadu is endowed with 3% of India’s water resources and has a diversified cropping system that includes paddy, millets, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane, vegetables, flowers, fruits, medicinal and aromatic crops, spices and condiments, and plantation crops, Mr. Vijay said.

He said since assuming office on May 10, he has been reviewing department-wise activities in Tamil Nadu, and during his review of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, it emerged that fertilizer manufacturers had not supplied fertilizers as per the Government of India’s supply plan for April and May 2026.

A total quantity of 39,001 MT of urea, 28,607 MT of DAP, and 24,235 MT of Muriate of Potash (MOP) had not been supplied in the last two months as per the supply plan, resulting in a shortfall.

The Chief Minister said agricultural activities are in full swing for the cultivation of paddy, black gram, green gram, groundnut, gingelly, and horticultural crops across the State. As the onset of the Southwest Monsoon has been predicted in the third week of May 2026 by the IMD and widespread showers are being experienced in major pockets of the State, there is great enthusiasm among farmers to cultivate the maximum area during the Kharif season. Consequently, the demand for fertilizers, especially urea and DAP, is likely to increase in the ensuing months.

“Shortage of fertilizers at this crucial juncture will prove costly for the food security of the State. In the circumstances, the State government is keen on ensuring adequate availability of fertilizers as we have planned to cover 25 lakh hectares under various crops during Kharif 2026, which accounts for nearly 40% of the gross cropped area in Tamil Nadu,” the Chief Minister said.

As crop cultivation in the current Kharif season has received a fillip due to various conducive factors, a sharp surge in demand for straight fertilizers, particularly urea and DAP, is expected in the coming days, he said, urging the Prime Minister to issue necessary instructions to ensure that the shortfall in fertilizers is addressed immediately.

He urged the Prime Minister to direct the authorities concerned to supply the required quantity to meet the demand for the rest of the Kharif season, such as 3.83 lakh MT of urea, 1.05 lakh MT of DAP, and 0.83 lakh MT of MOP.