Scarcity amid surplus: The paradox of India's fertiliser shortage

The urea 'shortage' reveals deeper problems: Supply mismanagement, black markets, and panic-driven demand surge

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the principal Opposition party in Odisha, plans a major protest on Monday in front of the Raj Bhawan to highlight the fertiliser crisis in the state. 

Last week in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy criticised Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over a urea “shortage”. He alleged that an artificial scarcity of fertiliser has resulted in a scam worth ₹200-250 crore. Speaking at a press conference in the state capital, Reddy claimed that urea was being diverted for non-farming purposes with the help of senior state officials. The