Kharif Season at Risk? India Rushes to Secure Fertilizer from New Countries

New Delhi: India may soon face a serious fertilizer shortage as the ongoing war disrupts global energy supplies and pushes gas prices higher.

The rising cost of gas has already forced over half of India’s fertilizer plants to shut down, hitting domestic production hard. With the Kharif season approaching, concerns are growing among farmers and policymakers.

To tackle the situation, the government is now planning to import fertilizers from alternative countries. Talks are currently underway with Russia, Belarus, and Morocco to ensure supply.

India depends heavily on imports for fertilizers like urea, DAP, and potash, as local production is not enough. A large portion of these imports usually comes from the Middle East.

• Saudi Arabia is a major supplier of DAP
• Oman supplies a significant share of urea

However, due to the ongoing conflict, supplies from this region are now at risk.

The situation has worsened after a missile strike on Qatar’s major LNG facility, which caused a massive fire and damage. Since India imports a large share of its LNG from Qatar, this could further disrupt fertilizer production in the coming weeks.

To avoid a deeper crisis, India is also exploring alternative LNG sources while trying to stabilize supply to its fertilizer plants.

What It Means

• Fertilizer shortage risk before Kharif season
• Over 50% plants shut due to high gas prices
• India shifting imports beyond Middle East
• Talks with Russia, Belarus, Morocco underway