Industry Odisha Bureau, May 10: Apart from the forecasts made by weather scientists indicating intolerable heat-wave conditions followed by below-normal monsoon this year owing to the impact of ‘Super El Nino’, the abysmally disrupted supply chain of crude oil and natural gas imports triggered by the unresolved Gulf crisis along with the Hormuz hurdle further adding woes to imports of fertilizers is deemed to be posing as double whammy to the Indian farmers as Kharif season is knocking at the door.
As per media reports, prices of fertilizers have skyrocketed in the global markets, while the prices of urea have gone up 81 per cent in last two months. On the other hand, countries around the world, including India, reportedly depend on fertilizer imports.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has reportedly made a forecast that “there will be a 6-12 per cent increase in the prices of key fertilizers in 2026”.
On the contrary, the Government of India (GoI) has reportedly contended that “disruptions to domestic supplies have been minimal” despite the fact that imports of a large amount of fertilizer can only cater to needs of India.
In this context of India’s aforesaid contention, the GoI reportedly said in a press statement on May 4, “1.67 million tonnes of fertilizer imports had reached Indian ports since the start of the West Asia crisis”, but the reality goes that India is very much dependence on the Gulf for the fertilizer imports.
Media reports have already revealed that “West Asia meets about 30% of India’s urea needs, 30% of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) demand and 50% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) requirement, which is used for the production of fertilizers.”
Media reports have also revealed that the GoI has “floated a global tender on April 24 for the supply of 1.9 tonnes of different types of fertilizers.”
Such an initiative has reportedly been undertaken by the GoI in a bid to import fertilizers or related raw materials from other countries too without being confined to the Gulf region, media reports added.
Last but not the least, Indian Kharif season reportedly require “3.9 million tonnes”, while the present stocks of fertilizers has reportedly been assessed to be “around 2 million tonnes.”
