New Delhi: In a significant advancement for India’s fertilizers security, four cargo ships carrying vital shipments of Urea, Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), and Sulphur successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz last week. Navigating through ongoing global trade challenges, these vessels are currently heading toward their designated destination ports across the country—namely Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep, and Mundra. Upon arrival, these fresh imports will immediately offload to supplement the nation’s existing fertilizer buffers and secure ongoing agricultural requirements.
Comfortable Inventory Buffers
India’s cumulative fertilizer stock position as of June 22, 2026, stands at a robust 196.08 Lakh Tons, marking a healthy increase from the 168.67 Lakh Tons recorded during the corresponding period last year. This strong inventory backup consists of:
- Urea: 81.44 Lakh Tons (up from 69.21 Lakh Tons last year)
- DAP: 20.92 Lakh Tons (up from 16.0 Lakh Tons last year)
- NPKs: 55.91 Lakh Tons (up from 46.13 Lakh Tons last year)
- MOP: 12.68 Lakh Tons (up from 10.68 Lakh Tons last year)
- SSP: 25.13 Lakh Tons (26.65 Lakh Tons last year)
Reflecting high agricultural momentum, total fertilizer sales post-crisis (from March 1, 2026, to June 21, 2026) reached 153.4 Lakh Tons, visualising a growth of 13.2 Lakh Tons compared to last year’s sales of 140.2 Lakh Tons over the same duration. This includes 79.1 Lakh Tons of Urea, 34.8 Lakh Tons of NPKs, and 19.8 Lakh Tons of DAP (including TSP).
Domestic Manufacturing Support
To protect Indian farmers against unpredictable global market shocks, the government maximized indigenous manufacturing capabilities alongside targeted import arrivals. Post-crisis domestic production scaled up significantly to achieve an impressive 133.12 LMT. This strong domestic foundation has been closely matched by total import arrivals hitting 43.69 LMT at Indian ports during this period, striking an ideal balance between localized output and international sourcing.
Global Tender Milestone
India has successfully contracted 17.70 LMT of Urea in its latest global tender evaluation. With this latest addition, India has safely tied up more than 90 LMT of Urea and P&K fertilizers from the global market specifically tailored for the ongoing Kharif season.
This macro-scale procurement strategy was facilitated through active diplomatic coordination with 28 Indian Missions abroad, opening up diverse import pipelines across multiple international corridors:
- Urea Streams: Successfully locked in from Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam, Georgia, Nigeria, Russia, Finland, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, and the Netherlands.
- DAP/NPK Streams: Secured via the Red Sea shipping route from Russia, Morocco, Egypt, USA, Jordan, South Korea, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.
The Department of Fertilizers continues to work closely with state governments, distribution agencies and cooperative networks to ensure India’s fertiliser security remains strong, stable, and well managed.
