Fertilisers

New urea policy tackles imports, but ignores fertiliser subsidy distortions

India's new urea policy boosts domestic production, but leaves unresolved the subsidy imbalance driving overuse, soil degradation and rising fertiliser costs

Railways liberalises freight policies to boost movement of key commodities

Indian Railways has simplified freight policies for key commodities, introduced new wagon norms and tightened contractor eligibility to improve cargo movement and execution

'Bundling of specialty, conventional fertilisers hurting MSMEs, innovation'

The practice of bundling soluble and specialty fertilisers with heavily subsidised conventional fertilisers such as urea is hurting innovation and pushing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the sector towards collapse, according to Rajib Chakraborty, President of the Speciality Fertiliser Association of India (SFAI). In an interview to PTI, Chakraborty said that farmers, as well as the industry, are often placed in a difficult position by this practice, known in trade parlance as "tagging," in which dealers make the sale of subsidised urea conditional on the purchase of speciality products. He said the practice occurs at multiple levels -- company, distribution and dealer -- and has caused significant damage to the industry over the years. As a result, he said, new and improved fertiliser products developed by smaller companies are struggling to reach the market. "The newly invented products or augmented products are actually not reaching the dealer shelf," he said, add

Weak monsoon may lift soluble fertiliser demand, price remains a risk: SFAI

An uncertain monsoon could work in favour of India's soluble fertiliser makers this Kharif season, but a sharp rise in prices poses a bigger risk to demand, industry body SFAI said on Sunday. Prices of key inputs have surged 60-100 per cent over the past year due to China's export curbs and disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia, Soluble Fertilizer Association of India (SFAI) President Rajib Chakraborty said. "Current prices are almost 60 to 100 per cent up," Chakraborty told PTI, adding that monoammonium phosphate (MAP), which sold for around USD 1,000 per tonne over the last couple of years, is now trading at USD 1,500-1,600 per tonne. "An increase of USD 600 per tonne means it's a big thing," he noted. Asked about the biggest risk to the sector this season, Chakraborty said it was the possibility of a drop in consumption due to the price rise. "The moment it becomes very expensive, farmers stop using it," he said, adding that price control was not possible or within the ..

Coercive fertilisers tagging hurting farmers, $1 bn specialty sector: IMMA

The forced bundling of specialty fertilisers such as biostimulants, water solubles and micronutrients with subsidised urea and DAP is illegal and is hurting both farmers and a specialty fertiliser industry that has grown to nearly USD 1 billion, the Indian Micro Fertilizer Manufacturers Association (IMMA) said. Dealers are coercively tagging unsubsidised specialty products with subsidised fertilisers at the point of sale, leaving farmers with no choice but to buy items they may not need, IMMA president Rahul Mirchandani said. "The practice was damaging the reputation of legitimate brands built through years of farmer outreach and demand generation," he said at the SOMS 2026 (Specialty Fertilizer Summit & B2B Expo 2026), being held from July 2-4. The practice amounts to an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act and a prohibited tie-in arrangement under the Competition Act, besides being punishable under Clause 31 of the Fertiliser Control Order, which allows for ...

Govt likely to use ammonia from coal gasification to produce urea

The government is exploring coal gasification-based ammonia for new urea plants to cut LNG dependence, boost energy security and reduce fertiliser subsidies

Four fertiliser ships clear Strait of Hormuz; head to Indian ports

Four cargo vessels carrying urea, DAP and sulphur, which successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz last week amid ongoing West Asia tensions, are now en route to destination ports in India, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers said on Monday. The ships are headed to Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep and Mundra. Upon arrival, the cargo will be offloaded to supplement existing fertiliser buffers and meet ongoing agricultural requirements ahead of the Kharif season. Domestic fertiliser production has reached 133.12 lakh tonne, while imports stand at 43.69 lakh tonne since the crisis began on March 1, the ministry said. India has also contracted 17.70 lakh tonne of urea in its latest global tender, taking total secured supplies of urea and P&K fertilisers to over 90 lakh tonne for the Kharif season, the ministry said in a statement. Urea supplies have been locked in from Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam, Georgia, Nigeria, Russia, Finland, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey and the Netherlands. DAP .

India has enough fertiliser stocks, prepared for El Nino: Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday assured that enough fertilizer stocks were available in the country, and also stated that the government had made preparations to handle the possible El Nino impact. Urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) would continue to be available at subsidised rates despite concerns over supplies amid the West Asia crisis, he said. India has adequate fertiliser stocks for the ongoing kharif season and the government is taking all necessary steps to ensure sufficient availability for the rabi crop cycle as well, he said. "Our government has decided that farmers will continue to get urea and DAP at affordable rates. The government is bearing the burden of increased prices," Chouhan told reporters after the conclusion of the five-day BRICS agriculture meeting in Indore. "This will put an additional burden of thousands of crores of rupees on the exchequer, but we are prepared to bear it in the interest of farmers," he added. "Our govern

Centre may revise FY27 fertiliser subsidy maths after urea price drop

A sharp decline in global urea prices in the latest NFL import tender could prompt the government to reassess fertiliser subsidy estimates for FY27, officials said

India's last urea tender quotes price 50% lower than Apr as China opens up

The price fall could come as relief to farmers and government on subsidy

Fixing Fertiliser: Urea subsidy cannot be allowed to continue unreformed

With fertiliser subsidies set to hit record levels, India faces growing pressure to reform urea pricing and shift support directly to farmers

India scales down kharif 2026 fertiliser requirement to 38.39 mn tonnes

India currently has around 19.98 million tonnes of fertilisers in stock, which means it has almost 52 per cent of the total reassessed requirement in stock as of today

Iran war forces farmers towards fertiliser alternatives like compost

When Senegalese farmer Abou Sow first watched US missiles strike Iran on social media, he had a sinking feeling it would soon affect agriculture in the West African nation. Since the war began on February 28, fertilizer prices have risen by 40%. Sow was better prepared than most. Eight years ago, he gave up chemical fertilizers for organic compost and other natural sources. He now rallies farmers in Senegal to buy manure from local herders and gives advice on how to make a rich compost, picking out wriggling worms a healthy sign. "We can't afford to wait for a ceasefire," Sow said. "It's risky to depend on chemical fertilizers." Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz has affected the supply of natural gas, essential for making chemical fertilizer, as well as global shipping. The Gulf region produces 30% of globally traded chemical fertilizer, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, and global prices have increased by 50%, according to the World Bank's fertilizer

Greater use of biofertilisers can reduce India's chemical fertiliser burden

Balanced nutrient use, biofertilisers, and improved soil health can help India cut fertiliser imports and make agriculture more sustainable without hurting crop production

India's FY27 fertiliser subsidy may top ₹3 trn if West Asia crisis persists

Krishna Kant Pathak, joint secretary in the Department of Fertilisers said that to solve the problem, India should now start looking at solutions

German firm B+H Solutions eyes India expansion, plans €1 million investment

German agricultural technology company B+H Solutions GmbH is eyeing the Indian market to expand its presence, with plans to invest 1 million euros in 2026, banking on rising demand for its metal-based nano-fertilisers and a recent regulatory breakthrough to accelerate growth in the country. The company, which markets its products through its Indian subsidiary Dr Heinisch Agro Solutions India Private Limited -- incorporated in 2022 -- reported global sales of 20 million euros for 2025. "Given the FCO (Fertiliser Control Order) nano registration, we are very enthusiastic for this year and plan on investment of 1 million euros in India in 2026," Dr Laura Wieler, General Manager and Chief Scientific Officer at B+H Solutions GmbH, told PTI in an interview. Unlike conventional nitrogen-based fertilisers such as nano urea, the company's products are metal-based nanotechnology solutions -- primarily silver and copper nanoparticles -- that function as what Wieler calls "fertiliser plus." Th

India's fertiliser sector reforms: Time for action on import dependence

West Asia tensions expose India's fertiliser vulnerabilities, reviving calls for subsidy reform, nutrient balance and a shift towards green ammonia

Fertiliser subsidy bill for FY27 may rise by ₹70K cr amid West Asia crisis

The government's fertiliser subsidy bill for 2026-27 may surge by Rs 70,000 crore to Rs 2.41 lakh crore, driven by rising import costs of urea and other fertilisers amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, a senior official said on Monday. Aparna S Sharma, Additional Secretary, Department of Fertilisers, on the sidelines of inter-ministerial briefing on West Asia developments, said, "The subsidy bill will go up, but what percentage is something I cannot say." On whether the increase could be as much as Rs 70,000 crore, she said, "may be." The budgetary allocation for fertiliser subsidies in 2026-27 stands at Rs 1.71 lakh crore. Despite the cost pressures, Sharma said fertiliser availability for the 2026 kharif season remains "comfortable", with stocks exceeding 51 per cent of the total requirement of 390 lakh tonne, the gap being bridged through diversified import sourcing. Current fertiliser stocks stand at 200.9 lakh tonne, she said. Domestic production is running at approximately 80

India's fertiliser imports from China jump 173% in FY26, shows data

Russia retained its position as the top source of India's fertiliser imports. It accounted for 6.8 million tonnes of imports, as against 4.9 million tonnes in FY25

India set for record DAP import in single tender amid supply fears

The purchases, equivalent to about a quarter of India's annual DAP imports, are likely to tighten global supplies and support prices