Strong monsoon to push India’s fertiliser imports 41% up as domestic demand surges

India’s fertiliser and organic farming imports are most likely to rise during the financial year 2025-26 from 41 per cent to 22.3 million tonnes. The reason for the jump could be the surge in the domestic demands following good monsoon rains, which will produce healthy crops, the Fertilizer Association of India (FAI) said on Tuesday.

“There has been an increase in imports of fertilisers because of a sudden spurt in domestic demand because of good rains,” FAI Chairman S Shankarsubramanian told PTI ahead of the association’s three-day annual seminar.

World’s second-largest fertiliser consumer

The fertiliser imports has been increased as the world’s second-largest fertiliser consumer imported about 14.45 million tonnes during April-October, leading to a 69 per cent increase from 8.56 million tonnes, the Association said.  

Industry leaders continue to maintain the availability to meet adequate demand of the current Rabi season.  

Fertiliser stocks stood at 10.2 million tonnes by end-November versus 9.97 million tonnes a year earlier, including 5 million tonnes of urea, 1.7 million tonnes of DAP and 3.5 million tonnes of NPK fertilisers, Shankarsubramanian said.

Industry leaders said that China is not responsible for urea shortage as India diversified its sourcing and further tried to expand it.  

Shankarsubramanian, who is also managing director of Coromandel International, said India has contracted large volumes in the last two months and there are no supply constraints.

The FAI data showed that domestic fertiliser skyrocketed and the production increased from 29.75 million tonnes a year earlier to 29.97 million tonnes in April-October.  

China still dominates 

China still dominates the production of fertiliser and India comes just below it serving more than 140 million farming households consuming close to 70 million tonnes of fertiliser annually.  

India has forged strategic partnerships with resource-rich nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar and Russia to strengthen supply security, FAI said.

FAI’s annual seminar will be held from December 10 and will be inaugurated by Fertiliser Minister J P Nadda.