Fertiliser sales rise 3.8% in April-December on higher imports: FAI

Urea sales in the country increased 3.8 per cent to 31.16 million tonnes during April-December 2025 on account of higher imports, even as domestic production declined marginally, according to provisional data released by the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) on Wednesday.

Urea sales stood at 30.02 million tonnes in the year-ago period.

Domestic urea production during the period stood at 22.44 million tonnes, while imports rose 85.3 per cent to 8 million tonnes, supporting higher sales during peak crop nutrition months.

Production of NP and NPK fertilisers (other than DAP) rose 13.1 per cent to 9.27 million tonnes during April-December 2025, with imports increasing 121.8 per cent to 3.29 million tonnes, the data showed.

 

Sales of complex fertilisers remained largely stable at 11.74 million tonnes.

Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) production during the period was recorded at 3.03 million tonnes, reflecting a 3.9 per cent decline compared to the previous year, while imports increased 45.7 per cent to 5.95 million tonnes.

DAP sales stood at 8.00 million tonnes, compared to 8.33 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

MOP sales increased 5.3 per cent to 1.77 million tonnes, even as imports declined 22.4 per cent to 2.14 million tonnes.

Single Super Phosphate (SSP) production increased 10.3 per cent to 4.43 million tonnes, while sales rose 13.1 per cent to 4.71 million tonnes.

"The April-December 2025 data shows how the fertiliser sector has worked to keep nutrients available through a balance of domestic production and calibrated imports," FAI Chairman S Sankarasubramanian said.

Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General of FAI, said the evolving nutrient mix reflected in the data underscores a gradual shift towards more balanced fertilisation practices.

The Association said coordinated production planning, calibrated imports and the strengthening of indigenous nutrient options together support the objective of balanced fertilisation.