Fertiliser import likely to jump 41% in FY26 on strong monsoon demand: FAI

No supply shortage anywhere, country has adequate stocks, say officials

India's fertiliser imports are estimated to jump 41 per cent to 22.3 million tonnes in the 2025-26 fiscal year due to a surge in domestic demand following good monsoon rains, the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) said on Tuesday.

 

The world's second-largest fertiliser consumer imported 14.45 million tonnes during April-October, up nearly 69 per cent from 8.56 million tonnes a year earlier, the industry body said.

 

Of the total imports in FY26, urea imports are projected at around 8-9 million tonnes this fiscal as against 5.6 million tonnes last year; di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) imports at 7 million tonnes as against 4.5 million tonnes last year; and NP/NPKS imports at 3.3 million tonnes as against 2.2 million tonnes last year. 

"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 reporters ahead of the association's three-day annual seminar.

 

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, he said.

 

FAI officials also hoped that India might become self-sufficient in urea in the next 2-3 years as large domestic capacities are coming up. They also said that due to long-term contracts and other deals, there is no shortage of fertilisers anywhere in the country as of now.

 

Meanwhile, 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.

 

While there were isolated shortages during the kharif season, overall supplies remained adequate, he added.

 

Domestic fertiliser production rose marginally to 29.97 million tonnes in April-October from 29.75 million tonnes a year earlier, FAI data showed.

 

Production included 17.13 million tonnes of urea, 2.32 million tonnes of DAP, 7.04 million tonnes of NPK fertilisers and 3.48 million tonnes of SSP.

 

Over 150 companies meet nearly three-quarters of India's nutrient needs, with imports covering the rest, the association said.

 

India, serving more than 140 million farming households, consumes close to 70 million tonnes of fertiliser annually, second only to China.

 

The government provided more than Rs 1.9 lakh crore in subsidies through urea and nutrient-based frameworks in 2024-25.

 

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

 

The seminar starting December 10 will be inaugurated by Fertiliser Minister JP Nadda.