Farmers in Karnataka may face a shortage of fertilizers in the upcoming kharif season, Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy has indicated.

Participating in a Meet-the-Press event organised by the Press Club of Bangalore here on Monday, the Minister said that in April, out of the allocated 4.02 lakh tonnes of various grades of fertilizers, only 2.54 lakh tonnes were supplied by the Central government, leaving a deficit of 1.48 lakh tonnes.

According to him, for May, out of the allocated 4.54 lakh tonnes of various grades of fertilizers, only 1.77 lakh tonnes have been supplied by the Central government so far, while another 2.77 lakh tonnes are still pending.

“Due to this, there is a possibility of shortage of fertilizers in the kharif season. This may also be due to the current instability in the import of fertilizers,” the Minister said.

He further stated that the State had been bracing for a potential shortage of fertilizers in the 2026 kharif season, as supplies were being adversely affected ahead of the monsoon.

“There is instability in the import of fertilizers. However, measures are being taken by our government to manage the shortage,” the Minister promised.

He also noted that in the wake of the West Asian crisis, there had been a surge in the demand for raw materials required for fertiliser production, such as ammonia, liquefied natural gas (LNG), phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, and other byproducts in the global market.

He mentioned that he held a meeting with authorities and emphasised the need for the timely allocation and dispatch of fertilizers to the State. To meet any shortage during the peak farming season, a buffer stock of 56,199 tonnes of various grades of fertilizers was currently being maintained.

Responding to media queries, the Minister said fertilizer vendors had been warned against creating artificial scarcity, selling fertilizers to farmers in excess of the required quantity, or committing any other violations of the Fertilizers (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Order, 1985, and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

“Appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that subsidised fertilizers are distributed equitably to all districts,” he informed, adding that the Agriculture Department and district magistrates had been directed to strictly monitor the distribution process.

Furthermore, government officials, with the assistance of the Agriculture Department, had been asked to coordinate with the Commercial Taxes Department at inter-State check-posts to curb illegal transportation and smuggling of fertilizers. A mobile application had also been developed to facilitate the seamless purchase of urea by farmers.

The Minister also urged farmers to increasingly explore green manure and compost, venture into natural and organic farming, and reduce their over-dependence on chemical fertilizers.

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