Fertiliser companies dig in for hard times amid Russia-Ukraine war

Russia-Ukraine war leaves them prey to rising costs, supply disruptions even as administered prices are unchanged

The forthcoming kharif sowing season, which begins in the monsoon, could be hard on both fertiliser companies and farmers on account of the Russia-Ukraine war. Urea prices are projected to soar because the war has pushed up prices of natural gas, a key raw material that accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the cost of production. Non-urea fertiliser prices are likely to rise sharply, too.

In the rabi season, for which harvesting begins in spring, DAP or Di-Ammonia Phosphate is the most widely consumed fertiliser apart from urea. In the kharif season, the consumption of various grades of compound